Languages

The Cantara Player's Compendium    PF2e Player's Handbook    Additional Character Options      Languages

Listed here are the primary languages spoken in the Cantara Isles. While many are common enough, others are only spoken in the farthest corners or understood by unique individuals. All of these languages can be learned by player characters, though selections with the uncommon or rare trait may need to be approved by your GM.

Sign Language

The language entry for most characters lists languages they use to communicate in spoken words. However, you might know the signed languages associated with the languages you know, or how to read lips. you can learn these by taking the Sign Lanuage or Read Lips skill feats, or both. If you are creating a character who is deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to speak, discuss with your GM whether it makes sense for your character to know sign languages or lip reading. If so, your GM might allow you to select one of these feats for free (even if you don't meet the prerequisites) to represent your character concept.

Common Languages

Common - Language

Though Islanders hate to admit it, the Common Tongue was established in the Cantara Isles from the Mainland's influence and managed to become the primary spoken language sometime after the Consequence.

Spoken by humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, and other common ancestries.

Dwarvish - Language

While sounding harsh to some, the dwarven language is exceptionally rhythmic, making it sound as though one is speaking to the beating of drums. As a biproduct, Dwarvish makes for some of the best drinking songs.

Spoken by dwarves and members of dwarven communities.

Elven - Language

Although there are many varieties of elves, they all speak using the same poetic language. Like elves themselves, their languages has fey roots and came to Cantara from their ancestral homeland, Haelona.

Spoken by elves and montipalans.

Halfling - Language

The halfling tongue may technically be considered a dialect of the common tongue, but due to an overwhelming amount of slang, conjunctions, colloquialisms, abbreviations, and outright invented words it is by practical means a unique language that needs to be studied and practiced to understand.

Spoken by halflings and members of halfling communities.

Orc - Language

Orcs tend to use their words efficiently and sparingly, and this is reflected in the language. While the spoken vocabulary is rather small, it is made up for with a nuanced vocabulary of grunts that convey meaning and emotion.

Spoken by orcs and members of orcish communities.

Skaldik - Language

The Skaldik language shares some similarity to the dwarvish tongue in that it is rhythmic and to the jotun language as it often sounds as though it is an unbroken stream of speech.

Spoken by the inhabitants of the Skaldik Kingdoms.

Uncommon and Rare Languages

Abyssal - Language

RARE

The cursed language of the abyss, spoken by fiends and their followers.

The chthonian and diabolic languages are replaced with abyssal in this setting.

Beladiri - Language

UNCOMMON

Though it has had many centuries to evolve and change into something new, the beladiri dialect is theorized to be the only true descendant of the thelan language that is still spoken today.

Spoken by beladiri humans and members of their communities.

Deep Speech - Language

RARE

The psionic language of many aberrant and otherworldly monsters.

The aklo language is replaced with deep speech in this setting.

Draconic - Language

UNCOMMON

The ancient, near primordial tongue of dragons and their kind. This language is near impossible for most humanoids to properly pronounce so hand gestures are used in conjunction with the verbal parts when speaking draconic.

Spoken by dragons, dragon-kin, and some inhabitants of Tyr.

Goblin - Language

UNCOMMON

While underappreciated by most just like goblins themselves, the goblin tongue is remarkably rich and subtle with a truly bewildering amount of nouns, adjectives, and adverbs allowing for very nuanced speech. Like elven, goblin also comes from fey roots.

Spoken by goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears.

Jotun - Language

UNCOMMON

This language was picked up from the titanic giants of ages past. When spoken by a giant, this language comes across not only as a single unbroken word, but is hard to differentiate from an earthquake or thunderstorm.

Spoken by giants, goliaths, ogres, and others of giant lineage.

Primordial - Language

RARE

Perhaps the oldest living language, primordial is the tongue of elemental spirits.

The petran, pyric, sussuran, and thalassic languages are all dialects of primordial in this setting.

Sylvan - Language

RARE

Another of the primordial tongues, sylvan is the language of many fey spirits and is a grandparent language to both elven and goblin.

Spoken by fey, eladrin, and plant creatures.

Thelan - Language

RARE

Now considered a dead language, thelan is the tongue of the empire that crumbled in cataclysm centuries ago. While no one communicates in thelan anymore, it still survives in rare texts and in tidbits of Cantaran culture.

Tokinan - Language

UNCOMMON

Just as Tokinan culture is older than most in the Isles, their language is one of the oldest and most unique in Cantara as well.

Spoken by the inhabitants of the Tokinan islands.

Undercommon - Language

UNCOMMON

Many different types of creatures speaking all sorts of tongues inhabit the twisting depths of the Underdark, often in close proximity to each other. This has lead to their own common language being developed long ago.

Spoken by subterranean civilizations. The sakvroth language is replaced with undercommon in this setting.