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Languages of Sulerin
Both bridge and barricade to understanding a culture, languages separate races, parts of the world, and often native
from foreigner. The elves of Sulerin do not speak "elf," nor do dwarves speak "dwarf," and their human neighbors know
this. Cosmopolitan travelers can tell the difference between a Daernarthor or a
Silver dwarf. They know not just by
appearances but by their accent.
There is no "common tongue" that spans the whole of the globe. One cannot travel from
the Eastern Empire to the Republic of Bethdezra and expect to find anyone who speaks
Darini. Everyone you are likely to meet in Bethdezra will probably want to communicate to you
in Bethdezran, the language of that part of the world. Most travelers learn a couple of
major languages and never worry about traveling so far that they will be unable to purchase a beer or a warm place to
stay the night - tasks which can arguably be done without understanding the local dialect.
Here then is a presentation of languages which one can expect to find as you travel
through the vast World of Sulerin.
Languages of Irendi
A plenitude of languages populate the continent of Irendi. Adventurers can get away with only knowing one
or two if they don't intend to travel far, but a truly worldly adventurer will take the time to learn at least one or two
more. Often, inhabitants of foreign lands are more willing to tolerate and negotiate with foreigners that speak the
local dialect.
Human Tongues
Though humankind is thought to have spread across the world from the continents south eastern corner, at least that
is what the humans of the Eastern Empire make claim of, humans now exist all across the face of the globe. A human in the
south can get away with knowing only one language their entire life. Most adventurers take the time to at least learn a
smattering of Thennish or Darini, these two languages being the most
pervasive trade tongues in the lands to the south of the mighty Cruth Mountains.
North of the mountains, unless you are the kind of adventurer that likes to spend all
their time in deserts and jungles, its necessary to know at least a couple languages. There are as many in the
Midden Kingdoms who would just as soon speak Arnor as they would Midden Tongue. The same could be said of the lands
belonging to the Arend Kingdom. In the northwestern plains it can save one's
life to speak both Bethdezran and Dezeri fluently.
Human languages are the most different from each other since each generation changes
their languages lexicon slightly. Fortunately for travelers to human lands, humans also happen to be the most willing to try
and do business with others who do not speak their language, attempting to get by with gestures, expressions, tone, volume,
and quite frequently a bit of coin to help smooth the way.
 Arendish: The spoken
tongue for all of the Kingdom of Arend. Punctuated with many long vowel and
guttural sounds, it is an easy tongue to recognize. Arendish has been spoken in this area for many thousands of years,
some say all the way back to the time of the UnHoly Wars, when it is said to have been the language of royalty and the
royal line of Sephina.
 Arnor: Even more ancient than
the language of Arend is that called Arnor. Arnor is spoken throughout the northern parts of Irendi, often found in forested
lands at the feet of the Arnorian Mountains which split the north in two from east to west. In the Midden Kingdoms, Arend,
southern Bethdezra, eastern Dazazin
are many tiny communities that have never spoken anything other than this language. It is said to have been derived from
the most ancient of elvin tongues, though over thousands of years of human use, only its structure and fluidity are marginally
similar to elvin dialects.
 Bethdezran: In the
northwestern lands of Irendi, where the city states of Bethra, Maragor, Ashanath, Tashlanta, and Samarash are located, is
where the tongue of Bethdezran can be found. At one time, the city of Bethra was
sovereign over this entire region, having defeated the crumbling and decadent Dazazin Empire. Over the last several
thousand years petty squabbles reduced the Republic of Bethdezra to a
plethora of independent city states in which this tongue is used. Many local dialects of this tongue can puzzle an outsider
to this culture, but the purest form of this tongue, called the trade tongue, is the same from merchant to merchant and is
also kept by government officials. Lesser dialects are understandable, but adventurers who learn them should be aware
that having the accent of a particular local dialect can embroil you in the many ancient arguments that exist between the
various states and ethnicity. Many sea-borne pirates of this region also speak Bethdezran.
 Dezeri: If you live in or travel
through the northwestern lands of Irendi you had better either speak Bethdezran or the language of the ancient Dazazin Empire, Dezeri. The Dezeri are even more ruthless than the Bethdezrans
when it comes to preying on foreigners that cannot understand the local language. Dezeri is punctuated with the shua
sound, slurred syllables, and is very distinct from neighboring languages.
 Dagash: The Dagashi are the
most ethnocentric and isolationist of the old shattered Republic of Bethra. Their language is a queer mix of Arnor and Dezeri;
fluid, but harsh and rapidly spoken. Dagashi speak softly and are a suspicious
people. Even an foreigner that speaks perfect Dagash might find themselves cheated, robbed, or murdered for their
valuables. Because of hostilities that have existed for nearly two-thousand years between the Dagashi and the city states
of Bethra, having a Dagash accent in the lands of Bethra can get oneself killed just as quickly as not knowing the language
in Dagashi will.
 Jar: The barbarians of the
immense Jarik Glacier speak the language of Jar (pronounced Hah-yar). It is the only
tongue spoken in these parts. Knowing a little bit of this language can go a long ways to improving one's odds of survival
on the great glacier. The Jars can be friendly to those who have something to trade in return for safe passage across their
icy wastelands and nothing stops a Jaren attack like a show of valuables and a few friendly words in the local language. Jar
is a brutish language full of glottal-stops and throaty vowels. Jar has no written alphabet.
 Shem Shem Ni: Nestled
against the massive Evermounts is a small and loose nation of humans called the Lands
of Shesaldi. Called the Fisher-Folk by the Halflings of Kindertel to the
north and by trade ships that arrive from the Eastern Empire, these
people make their livelihood from the sea and plentiful forests of their land. They are one of the few races that openly
trade with the Selere Elves of
Jsucluemae.
 Midden Tongue: In the
Midden Kingdoms, also called the Lake Lands, the language of
Midden Tongue is spoken by everyone. Everyone, that is, except for those who speak Arnor. Midden
Tongue will at least get an adventurer by with merchants and most government officials. In the southern reaches of the Lake
Lands you can go months without hearing anything else spoken. Midden tongue has a bit of a drawl and a lilting slur to it.
 Nit'si: The nomadic tribes of
the Ki'kiri Jungles speak a rainbow of different languages, each tribe having its own
specialized tongue. The language of Nit'si, however is common to all of them, allowing them to converse and trade
between each other. Nit'si comes in two distinct accents: The clipped and rapidly spoken dialect of the upper eastern jungle
and the softly punctuated dialect of the lower western valleys. Knowing the difference between the two can be important
since the western tribes tend to be more warlike. Nit'si has no written alphabet.
 Sinnd: The nomadic Banderan
tribes that wander the hills of the Sinnd Desert and the scattered Hicame gypsies that
dwell in the Plateau Lands both speak dialects of Sinnd. Legends say that in ancient times,
before the appearance of gods, that the Sinnd was a massive empire that dominated the center of Irendi. When the Great
Summoning was brought about, the lands were scoured by the mighty powers that birthed the First Gods, turning the fertile
lands to desert and barren mountains. The language of Sinnd is said to be one of the most ancient languages from the Age
of Chaos. If that is so, than great and ancient mysteries must lay beneath the burning sands of that region. Sinnd is a
sibilant tongue with a variety of whistling and clicking sounds. Sinnd is mostly a spoken language. Stone tablets with
written Sinnd text are rare archaeological finds.
 Abnasian - Westering: The
Abnasian language, called Westering by foreigners, is a lively and quickly spoken language. It is best spoken with
numerous colorful expletives and in a loud and certain voice. Abnasian bears a superficial resemblance to Thennish. One can count on at least a few Thean dwarves or Haruninki being able to speak this language since both
nations do trade with the Westering Kingdoms. Abnasians are a
prolific folk and their texts can be found all over the continent.
 Kaldorae - Sheynar: The
tribesmen of the great plains in southern Irendi speak various dialects of the Kaldorae language, called Sheynar by
non-tribesmen. It is a vowel filled language with various versions of the sound "cha" or "sha" mingled throughout. There
are four distinct dialects of this language, each belonging to one of the four major tribes. The language bears no
resemblance to any of the other human languages; the nomadic Sheynar claim that the language was placed on their
tongues when they were forged from the elements by their four-faced god. Ancient Sheynar texts are rare. Only important
communications are written down; typically upon the hide of an animal. Thus, few texts of their language exist.
 Hanoi: On the Hanois
peninsula there are spoken a hundred different dialects of Hanoi. The best a foreigner can do with this fast, rambling, and
rapidly changing language is stumble along and hope that they don't insult someone. Yet, it is a very valuable language to
know if one is a merchant for the Hanois Peninsula is ripe with mineral and organic materials that can be found no where
else in the world. Some of the deadliest poisons, miraculous herbal cures, and precious metals can be found in these
strange and humid lands. Being able to write Hanoi is a mark of high education among the natives of the peninsula. More
than nine out of ten natives are completely illiterate.
 Thennish: A distant cousin of
Darini, Thennish is the de facto trading language for merchants plying the Gulf of Biengyar and all
of its inland routes. An adventurer with Thennish on their tongue can find conversationalists throughout all the lands south of
the Cruth Mountains if they look hard enough. One reason for this is the number of books written in Thennish and the age
of the language - thought to be nearly 8000 years old. Thenns, as those who speak this tongue are sometimes called, are a
varied people from many cultures. A wide variety of accents can be found in this tongue, from the whispery speech of
Yalrum to the steady and businesslike prattle of Tel-Akbar.
 Ulthor: The ancient
tongue of Ulthor is thought to have been first introduced to men by the giants that once lived in the valleys of the Crescent
Mountains, to the west of the Eastern Empire. Men from the Empire
learned the tongue to travel safely into the lands of the fey and giant-kin, and to do trade with them. Passed down through
generations, there are still secluded villages deep in the Crescent Mountains where this is the only language the locals have
ever heard. Ulthor has a written alphabet that is easy to carve into stone, resembling dwarven runes in some respects.
 Darini: This language has two
distinct accents, the royal High Darini used by the imperial family, diplomats, trained courtesans, and wealthy merchants,
and Common Darini, which is spoken by everyone else. Darini is the founding language of the Eastern Empire. Scattered bits of the Darini language can be found all
over the world, taken there by the many explorers or born from the numerous colonies that the Empire founded in the
past. Darini is a complex and full language, preferred over others by oratorios and poets. Darini texts are some of the
oldest in the world.
Non-Human Languages
The non-human races of Irendi, being far longer lived than humans, and less interested in exploring the world, have not
spread to cover near as much of the continent with their varied languages. By no means does the following map mean that
elves, dwarves, halflings, and the like are only found in those places where their language is spoken. There are scattered
tribes of each. Whether their ancestry was banished from the main body of their race, or by other circumstances, At least a
smattering of each race can be found across the lands.
Also notable is that the following languages are spoken by non-human races that prefer to
dwell on, or at least near to, the surface. There are a great many dwarven civilizations buried too deeply in the earth to be
found on this surface map of Irendi's languages. The languages of these underground races are covered later on.
The languages presented here are those in which the designated area the language is either
prevalent because that is where that races territory is or because there is an especially large population of that race
commingled with that of the humans who live in the same area.
 Nalaoni: The
Galiadre elves speak the low and
murmuring tongue called Nalaoni (Nah lay o nee). It is a steady language of soft intonation and gentle inflection.
Two Galiadre nations exist, one in the south of Irendi, called Alfheim,
the other is hidden in the Arnorian Valleys of the north and is called Schaelenray.
Separated Galiadre tribes in the Crescent Mountains and in the Parnor Woodlands, west of the United
Kingdoms. Despite the distance between the areas where Nalaoni is spoken, the language is much the same. Most
foreigners would not be able to tell the difference in accent, though it is obvious to a Galiadre.
 Ilyaunaya: The
Lerether elves of
Greentree and the elves of the shattered and wartorn nation of
Elestinlore both speak the sweet and musical language of Ilyaunaya
(pronounced Ill yawn ah yay). Human poets in the Kingdom of Arend also use this language in their sonnets and
other oratory compositions. Since the separation of their race into two kingdoms is so recent, by elvin standards, it is
impossible to tell a speaker from Elestinlore from that of Greentree.
 Calanae & Vala:
These two languages are both spoken by the Tenerthor
elves. Vala, the first tongue, is spoken by the Cailis Tenerthor and can only be found in the native lands of the
Tenerthor, east beyond the Evermounts and the Sea of Lost
Souls. The remaining pockets of the language are spoken by the Scattered Tribes. In the native lands of the Tenerthor
there are four dialects of Calanae, one for each of the great tribes. Among the Scattered tribes, only distance distinguishes
one dialect from the other and none of them are especially similar to those spoken in the native lands. An adventurer
learning Calanae will make easy friends among the Tenerthor and be able to communicate with the race regardless of
where they go.
 Aman: The extremely
introverted and aggressively reclusive Earinai
elves of the Forest Heartstrong speak this language. Little is known of their culture
or this language. It is not a language one can learn as an adventurer, nor as anything else for that matter unless one is an
Earinai. It is said that their speech is so powerful that their words can alter reality if spoken with conviction and that to hear
them is to listen to such beauty that one is struck deaf to all else. There is no written alphabet for the language of Aman.
 Jsujulian: (pronounced:
yus jew lee ahn) The Selere elves of
Jsucluemae and the Windrip Isles
are a reclusive race of undersea dwelling elves. Because of the strange whistling, squeaking, and popping noises that are
part of their language and because of body language and facial expressions that alter the meaning of the sounds, foreigners
can never hope to gain fluency. Some sounds can only be made with gills. The Selere also hand-speak a sign language
called Jsuclaeleu (pronounced: yus clay lee yu).
 Dwarvenrish: The most
common and widespread of the dwarven tongues is like the dwarven race that speaks it; the
Daernarthor dwarves speak it with
relish, thick with rumbling and rolling consonants and deep, throaty vowels. Dwarves of Deependelv, Dwarvenrish,
Stronmountain, and the Aken Halls all speak this language, a language which has changed little over the millenia that
their race has spread throughout the Cruth Mountains.
 Handrac - Thean: The
friendly Thean dwarves, also called
mountain dwarves, speak this language. Found tucked between the Desert of the Sinnd and the Haruninkian Homeland,
dwarven natives of the Kingdom of Thean speak this language that is said to be so
dry and bone-gratingly dusty that it makes one thirsty just to hear it. This doesn't seem to bother the Thean dwarves, who
are renowned for the finest mountain liqueurs and beers to be found in that corner of the world.
 Silver Speak:
Silver dwarves of
Silverhome speak this laborious and gruff language. Though the largely
spend their time underground, the Silver Dwarves conduct many mining activities on the surface as well and so an
adventurer passing through their area can make use of this old tongue to help get directions to the nearest abandoned
and monster filled mine shaft.
 Da'an: The Silver Dwarves
of the Evermounts keep to themselves and don't take kindly to foreigners poking
noses around in their lands. Da'an is a much older and archaic version of Silver Speak, so much older that a Da'an speaking
dwarf would have a very difficult time understanding a Silverhome dwarf. The Da'an spend even less time on the surface
than their Silverhome cousins. Still, an adventurer might find this a useful language if it keeps them from being turned away
at the door of a Da'an stronghold in the middle of a blizzard, provided they can find someone willing to teach it to them.
Klipth: The halflings of
Kindertel speak this melodious and poetic tongue. Some poetry found in the
Eastern Empire is written in this tongue, being a novelty and a symbolic
of a cultured noble. All halflings speak some version of this lilting language. Outside of Kindertel, the
Midden Kingdoms are the next most popular region where this
language is spoken. An adventurer in the Midden Kingdoms can get by without knowing how to speak Klipth, since the
dominate language there is Midden Tongue, but a traveler in Kindertel is sure to get scammed and led astray without at
least a modest understanding of the language.
Haruninkian & Unsultanlan:
The Haruninki speak this curt and clipped language.
It is a well ordered language and not especially difficult to learn. Though not spoken anywhere else in the world, it is
Haruninkian Words and Phrases
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| Aman | Master. The proper reference of one who is in a social caste above yours. A lesser husband should refer to the master husband in this manner, a non-Unsultinlan should refer to an Unsultanlan in this manner. Also the manner in which one refers to a teacher whose status is that of a lifetime teacher. |
| Bithral | Sturdy or strong, mighty. Also used as a reference to the strongest of metals. |
| Bithralania | A famous city bordering the edge of the Golden Desert. The seat of power of the Pedestal of Divinity. |
| Crindran | A highly addictive drug made from crushed palms of the Dran-a-dran tree. Originally this drug was holy to the Unsultanlan, but over the millenia it has also become uncommon amongst the general populace. |
| Dran-a-dran | A short tree with palm leaves. The leaves when crushed can be used to make a drug called Crindran. Warriors who participate in the festival of Ghan often bath in waters scented with this plants oils. During certain ceremonies performed by the Unsultanlan, the leaves of this plant are burnt as incense, this however has no narcotic effect. |
| Elders, The | The Elders are spirits revered by the Haruninki as other races revere various gods. The Haruninki insist however that the Elders are not Gods, but nearly omnipotent spirits. Some speculation by non-haruninkian scholars suggests that the Haruninki believe that their leaders who become the Pedestal of Light later become Elders after their death but Haruninki do not confirm this. Nearly all Haruninki believe in the Elders, but very few worship them in a ritual manner. Acknowledgement of their existance and proper respect are sufficient in most Haruninkian eyes. It is forbidden to speak the name of an Elder and is also extremely rude to refer to the Elder Spirits in singular form rather than by its plural, The Elders. |
| Haruchi | The informal manner of referring to one or more members of the Haruninkian race. |
| Haruninki | Formal reference to one or more members of the Haruninkian race. |
| Haruninkian | Adj. A object or concept which is made by or originating from the race of Haruninki. |
| Katana | A sword of Haruninkian origin. A ritualistic weapon with certain rules and traditions regarding its use. |
| Kahwahleh | Child, specifically a son or daughter who is related by blood. |
| Kahpa | A parable or a zen-like riddle which contains spiritual wisdom. |
| Ladas | Welcomes or ritual introductions made upon entering another's household. |
| Lan | A word often concatenated to the end of other words. Means "with honor." For example, "Aman-Lan" would be Master with Honor. |
| Pah | Honor, privilege, the state of not being indebted to another, the result of success of oneself or one's children and ancestors. |
| Pahn-daun | A brother, but not by blood-relation. A term used between close friends. |
| Pedestal of Divinity | A state and position attained and possessed by the leader, emperor, of Haruninkian Society. The Pedestal of Divinity does not control the Unsultanlan, but frequently will defer to the opinion and wisdom of the Unsultanlan, however, the Pedestal of Divinity is supreme in all decisions and complete in his power. |
| Rakasadora | A very formal and ancient way of wishing well to another. Meaning "Ever Blessings upon you." Note that ancient humans of the Eastern Empire used a similar phrase "Rakashadara." The connection is suspected to date from before the Age of Chaos but is unsupported. |
| Siloth | A coward, a member of those who fled from the Homeland under the rule of Pedestal of Light Kirrinda |
| Sultan | The ancient ancestors of modern Haruninki and Silothreni. The Sultan were destroyed in two by the Elders, for disobedience and disrespect. |
| Swual | Perfect, ideal. Often used as a remark of happy surprise. |
| Tor | A state of dishonor, the state of being indebted to another, the result of poorly made decisions or bad luck. A status which is regarded with negative connotations by Haruninkian society. |
| Unsultanlan | A member of the Haruninkian caste called the Unsultanlan. Members of this caste function as holy men and intervene between the Haruninki and the Elders. |
| Wah | A family of one head wife, one head husband, and any number of lesser husbands and children. | |
essential for travel through the Haruninkian Homeland. Most Haruninki refuse
to speak to foreigners, but an adventurer who doesn't speak it at all will be completely ignored until they break a law or
cause trouble; at which point they'll wish they spoke Haruninki. The Homeland executes nearly as many foreigners as it
does its own people for infractions of their rigid laws. Unsultanlan is the holy language, only spoken by the high priests of
the Elders, worshiped ancestral spirits. Unsultanlan is a level and monotone language of gentle, reverent, and sonorous
intonation and bears little resemblance to Haruninkian.
Oruli: The chirping, whistling,
throaty hooting, and growling language of the Oruli is a
soft sing-song language which is punctuated with clicks of the tongue and nasal-like snorts from the nose. It is a language
that is as much spoken as it is displayed in the movements and posture of the speaker. Most outsides come across as foolish
when they attempt to make conversation with Oruli, perhaps this is part of why the Oruli find foreigners so funny. There is
no written alphabet for the language of the Oruli.
Lupinal: The Lupinal language is
surprisingly complex for a race of nomads, partly because various scents are part of how a Lupinal communicates and only other Lupinal can smell or even
recognize the meaning of these smells. This doesn't stop outsiders from speaking to Lupinal, the spoken language is full and
very expressive. Lupinal take the spoken word very seriously. Since they have no written language, the spoken word is used
to pass down all of their history and knowledge. They also believe that proper speech can be powerful, almost holy, in its
presence and effect on the surrounding world.
Subterranean Languages
Most subterranean languages are completely foreign to surface dwellers. It is quite rare to find a human that speaks any
of these languages, and yet and adventurer that travels the Underhalls and underground passages of the earth will thank
themselves for learning a few phrases in each of these languages when they encounter a native that speaks it. Most
dwellers of the underworld are suspicious and acute paranoid of surface dwellers motives for entering the earth. A few of
the right words in the below languages can turn what could be a hostile encounter into one of peaceful, wary, and mutual
distrust.
Sarruni: The Silothreni
that dwell underground in the northern reaches of the world speak this language. Though they are distantly related to the
Haruninki, their language bears not even a remote
likeness to their hated surface dwelling cousins. Sarruni is a complex and difficult language for foreigners to learn.
Shoi-Kar: Silothreni in the south speak this chattering language of subtleties and
deceptions. Half-truths are so much a part of the Silothreni culture that their language has even adopted a variety of forms
that communicate the nature of truth, or lack thereof, as part of the language. While Sarruni is a difficult language, Shoi-Kar
is nearly impossible for foreigners to become fluent in without the cultural background of being a Silothreni.
Dhe-khalan: The Drakher
language is so impossibly varied that often the Drakher of one civilization cannot understand the natives of another. Years of
separation in the depths of the earth have caused this language to become hopelessly divided, a strange parody of the
Drakher's intense ethnocentrism. Most travelers of the underworld don't bother learning this language since it is only useful
when dealing with one Drakher civilization. To speak to a second civilizations peoples means learning a virtually new
language.
Thrallanmad: Urdunan
dwarves speak this cumbersome language. Some surface dwarves also use this language in the worship of their dwarven
gods. Urdain dwarves speak a slightly
bastardized version of this language that uses a variety of different tenses and vocabulary. Some complex ideas can be
very difficult to explain in Thrallanmad because of its structure and the incorporation of an objects history into its name,
description, and phrasing. Urdunan dwarves don't understand why all surface dwellers that enter the earth don't bother
learning this language beforehand.
Trade Languages
The below languages do not belong to any one region. Often this is because they are trades languages, spoken on the
seas and in the ports of many different places. An adventurer that joins one of the endlessly traveling Mercat caravans or
who intends to travel the seas for an extended period of time can only benefit from knowing a couple of these languages.
Not all trade languages are spoken by humans, most of them cross racial borders.
Bander: The pirates of the southern seas and sea-merchants from
Abnasia to the Eastern Empire all
speak this tongue, which is more a combination of bastardized Sarisee with several other of the
southern tongues sprinkled throughout. Speakers of Bander understand a variety of words and phrases from all the southern
spoken tongues. On the other hand, people who do not speak Bander can't understand it at all. There is no written alphabet
for the language of Bander. Most people who speak it also speak one or two other languages.
Sarisee: Sarisee is the ancient mariner language. Less common than Bander,
Sarisee is spoken only by the fierce, seagoing nomads known as the Quegans. Smart and wealthy sea trading merchants
prize the presence of someone who can speak Sarisee as it can be the only thing that stops a Quegan raiding ship from
executing all aboard and merely taking tribute of all the ships goods and leaving the crew to return to land. There is no
written alphabet for this language. It is a very rare language for non-Quegans to know.
Mercat: Codified in ancient Darini, Mercat was created to
be a simple language that merchants could quickly teach to foreigners and use to communicate complex trading ideas. The
language has changed very little over the millenia, while Darini has changed substantially enough that one is nearly
incomprehensible from the other. The wandering Mercat, descendants from the first trades people sent out from the
Eastern Empire to explore and bring goods home from around the
world, all speak this language.
Haven Script: This collection of simple symbols and runes are used around the
world to communicate messages to travelers in the wilderness. Found carved into dungeon walls just outside a monsters
lair, on trees to point the way to shelter, or on desert stones to mark potable water, Haven Script is a language that can
save an adventurers life. Sadly, few bother to learn it and the language remains a hallmark of rangers, druids, barbarians
and other wilderness dwelling folk.
Mach-Ram & Dam: Like Haven Script, this set of symbols and runes are
used by the underground dwelling races to communicate safety, indicate danger, or show the way from one place to
another. Mach-Ram and Dam are actually two separate sets of characters, but both are so widely useful in the underworld
that those who know one are likely to know the other. Mach-Ram are runes which originate from the
Urdunan and
Urdain dwarven races. Dam is a similar
set of characters that originates from the Drakher
elves. Neither language has a spoken equivalent. Drakher use Dam as a crude means of
communicating with other distant Drakher civilizations since their spoken language is extremely varied.
Apocix: This runic language is used by wizards and sages to communicate
alchemical, spiritual, and magical processes. Although each rune has a codified name, speaking them in succession
sounds much like reading aloud a mathematical formula.
Ancient Languages
 These are languages which are no longer spoken except by the most astute sages. They are dead languages useful only
to those that seek to divine the meaning of ancient texts from lost civilizations. Most of these languages disappeared
thousands of years ago and little record of their existence or the cultures that created can be found anywhere but in legend.
Cananor: The ancient
humans of the north spoke this tongue. These human tribes eventually spread out to the areas now known as Arend,
the scattered tribes of the Northern Deserts, Bethdezra, and scattered areas to the north of the Midden Kingdoms.
Thenderin: The "old tongue"
of the Eastern Empire, this tongue was used by humans in the lands now known as the Eastern Empire, the Gulf of Biengyar,
and much of the United Kingdoms. It hasn't been spoken or in use since long before the Unholy Wars.
Iorian: This tongue originated
from the lost civilization of Ivoria, which was swallowed up by the Great Dhaal Swamp, on the Hanois Peninsula. Texts from
this civilization are unheard of, but record of the language exists engraved into the ancient ruins that were preserved when
they sank beneath the swamp waters.
Nadris: This lost tongue was
once spoken by the lost Nadristi elves of
Goshome. Ruins can still be found scattered about the world with this tongue
inscribed upon their stone walls, lost hammered steel texts and magical artifacts.
Ancient Sinnd: Sinnd, as it is
spoken today bears little to no resemblance to the forgotten hieroglyphs of Ancient Sinnd. Now meaningless symbols, the
ideas communicated in Ancient Sinnd are so old and lost to the past that even magic makes no sense of their meaning.
Tablets of this ancient writting occasionally are found deep beneath the shifting sands of the Desert of the Sinnd or hidden
in the oldest crypts buried deep in the nearby mountains.
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