Languages

This page helps you to understand where each language is spoken as well as what races might speak them. Different dialects may be added to each language dependent upon the region. Never take a language for granted and always check this page to make sure you're correct. Languages are sorted by the "most common" to the "least used" in decending order.

Protean:
Spoken predominatly by the denizens of the outer planes, it is also seen as the first language ever created. Terranians seeing that communication was lacking between them and there newly created kin fromed this language so that the may converse. Most untouched regions of Terrania will speak this language, it is extremely complex and most societies formed there own languages based on specific dialects they created to lessen the burden of complexity. Those who speak Protean as a first language will find it extremely easy to pick up other languages at almost double the speed. With extensive study one may be able to learn Protean from transcripts of the First World, but without others who speak the language to communicate with them speaking protean is beyond them.

Giant:
Not orginally from Terrania or the Speaker of the Depths, where giant came from is a mystery. It seemed to appear around the same time The Whispered Lands came into existance. A brutish and "uncivilized" language it is spoken all over the world now by many species of giants and there kin. Ulfen's from Irrisen and The Land of the Linnorm Kings are commonly known to speak it due to there constanst dealings with the inhabitants of Jotunhiem. Easy to learn and rather dependant on physical signals it can be veiwed as a very "expressive" language. The Children of Seferin (Feros) are know to speak giant as a second (or sometimes first) language.

Saurial:
The original Draconic language, spoken by the saurials of first world and then subsiquently by their Dragon "Gods" and pets. It's the oldest form of draconic and will intrigue any Draconic creature old enough or intelligent enough to understand it. Less curt and more poetic than modern draconic, speaking Saurial can be considered an art form requiring months if not year of practice to get the rhyme and melody of this language up to snuff. Currently Older dragons and there kin speak saurial as well as some tribes of Kobolds, The Roost Lands is well known to be one of the last places on Terrania to fluently speak Saurial; seeing as Dragons are the benevolent overlords of the land.

Thoross:
A language created by the Humans of Thoross, the most advanced of the First World civilizations. The Thorossi developed separate from the influences of the Terranians and their Protean races; causing them to develop their own language based purely on their own verbal utterances. This means that it is extremely difficult for any monstrous or non-humanoid race to speak Thoross; on the principle that their vocal cords and mouths cannot form the proper sounds. Because of this many elitist human organizations view it as the purist of all the languages. It spoken predominantly in Talnor by the noble families and common people alike; many human organizations in Terrania use Thoross to show their devotion to the first human empire and their superiority to the "monsters" that surround them.

Sylvan:
“High Elves” and the Elven subspecies that escaped the Terranian wars, have in recent history become the predominate species on the planet of Terrania. In kind their language has also become the dominant one. Almost every citizen unless sheltered from it (like parts of the Crags) knows the Language of the Sylvan People. It is considered the common language and those who put common on character sheets are actually writing Sylvan. Though Drow are considered a elven species they abandoned Slyvan Language and re-adopted Protean when they were forced into exile during the Terranian Wars.

To-Kiese:
To-kiese developed as a language all it's own it's based loosely around the languages of Thoross and a now extinct dialect of Giant which came from the original Oni Slaves or To-Ki. The humans who developed To-kiese are of an unknown origin; highly skilled in magic they imprinted the language on the human genetics of the region in an attempt to make the species more superior to there Oni slaves. Eventually the language gap between master and slave became a full blown rebellion, the humans never having to fight real battles swiftly lost control of there slaves and became slaves themselves. The Oni's that interbred with humans learned the language of there former masters and it is now the unifying language of the continent To-Ki.

Elven:
A very popular dialect of Slyvan that has slowly become it's own language over the last 1500 years. Elven is commonly spoke in Mirerock and parts of Northern Taldor controlled by Elven Warlords as well as by the social elite and the High King (Clan Salvanis) in the Crags.

Terran:
An Extremly common Human dialect of Dwarven, after the the Dwarves were forced back into the underdark during the dwarven genocide, dwarven decended humans no longer had direct contact with there mother species at a rate consitent enough to keep the dwarven language alive outside of the social elite of the Crags eventually it was morphed into what is currently known as Terran. Spoken by most of the inhabitants of the Crags and it is also well known in mirerock and by most Gnomes.

Skald:
Skald is the language of the Ulfen people of the Whispered Lands, it's origins are unknown but it seems phenetically similar to Giant, It's also well known that both languages seemed to have appeared at the same time on Terrania. Making "Old Skaldic" the oldest spoken lanaguage by humans on Terrania. Skald is spoken across the northern part of To-Ki by small bands of Ulfen/ To-kiese decendants.

Common:
“Common” is the sailors language. Used primarily in the Gokey Archipelago as well as many coastal areas in Southern Taldor this rough and tumble language is catching on quite rapidly among port towns. Fast and simple to use Common is also known as “Curser's Gib” because of the obscene amount of taboo words and saying in it that many people would never venture to say outloud. Common's ancestral roots come from the language Thoross, a rigid and archaic language now only used on the “Isolated” Island of Talnor.

Orc:
Orcish is also a descendant of Thoross and is very similar to “Common” in many respects though the language has been changed due to biological differences rather than Idealogical and/or Cultural. Due to the shape of an Orcs skull and well as his protruding tusks his pronunciation of Thorossi words changed and so the language. Not only was Orcish anatomy a factor but also location and isolation from other species for long periods of time. Kaasath, the language of the tribal peoples just south of the Orcish Isles along with Archaic Sylvan have had a profound impact on Orcish as a language and in some dialects direct translation between Kaasath and Orcish is still possible if the two don't understand each other well enough already. Orc is spoken in many dialects in the Orcish Isles along with Coastal regions of northern Taldor and most of Kaasath. Unfortunately after the Dwarven Genocide and Exile the once great metropolis-state of Kagwher now also speaks Orc though no Dwarves live on the surface to do so.

Halfling:
The Halfling language is similar to Elven, but not Sylvan. It may seem odd that this is said but there is an explanation for this. Halfling was at one time a dialect of the Sylvan language until a cultural collision happened; this being between the Halfling race and Saytr Species. Saytrs spoke in a extremely fast and relatively unrecognizable language, wheres as the Archiac Sylvan Halfling spoke at the time was slow and deliberate. Halflings at the time had neither the man power nor the physical prowess to assert their culture over another race so they adapted; over generations of practice the ancient halflings adopted many words, rules, and the speed of the Saytr's currently dead language to the extent of creating an entirely new language which over took both Archaic Sylvan, and the Saytr mystery language. Halfling is spoken across most of Aros, and southern Taldor seeing as they were the original inhabitants of Taldor and the first “colonists” of Aros.

Gnomish:
Gnomish, also known at Archaic Sylvan is the oldest dialect of Sylvan from which the others originated. Seeing as Gnomes are a simple and rustic folk they haven’t found a need for change. Staying either in secluded tribes or making a living on their own as a druid or hermit they've kept their “Dialect” alive through isolationism and Xenophobia. Gnomish is commonly spoken in Mirerock, the homeland of the Gnomes, it is also commonly spoken in Far Northern Taldor and heavily wooded areas of the Crags. But in the case the latter two it's only spoken in passing because the “small population” of Gnomes that make themselves visible to outsiders.

Draconic:
Draconic is the direct descendant of the language of the Saurian race. Draconic is the simplification of Saurial, abandoning the sing-song melody in exchange for ease of communication with other races. Seeing as Saurial was too complex and vocally advanced a language for other races with a “short” life span to learn and be proficient in enough for trade relations to flourish. Draconic is widely spoken in The Roostlands by the non-native population. It is also spoken on mainland Quellas by the younger generations of dragons and creatures of draconic origin. Draconic is also spoken by the Linnorms of the Whispered Lands.

Charter:
Charter is the Language of Common/Arcane Magic and was very possibly the first language ever on Terrania. All arcane mages and wizards without innate magical ability must learn this language before they gain the ability to cast Arcane spells. Charter is very simliar to Protean seeing as they were both created by the Original Terranians, anyone who knows Charter has the basic semantics of Protean and vice-versa.

Dwarven:
Dwarven has changed little since it's creation in the under-dark of Terrania. When Dwarves were created they were given the choice to accept the Protean Language or create their own, they chose to create. Rigid and guturall the Dwarven language embodies the races spirit of seeking perfection in everything they put their minds too. Recently the Dwarven language has been in decline on the surface of Terrania and is spoken by the Nobles of The Crags, most Half-Dwarves, and Dwarven Refugees/Veterans of the Genocide.

Undercommon:
Undercommon is a bastardized form of Thoross, it came about as many of the monstrous races attempted to duplicate the archaic human language of Thoross. Under common is the predecessor of Orcish and many of the monstrous races speak undercommon seeing as it is the touchstone used to help create their own language.