Caen Languages

CASPIAN LANGUAGES

Although Caspian itself is no longer a living language, it is the largest language family and therefore of great interest to scholars and theologians. It spread alongside both the Menite and Morrowan faiths before it changed and fragmented into distinct regional languages with some commonalities, such as a shared alphabet. Several languages descended from Caspian are still in common use, the most significant of which are described below. Numerous intermediary Caspian languages have existed throughout the ages. Most of them are of interest only to linguists, but some are still spoken in certain regions, although rarely as a primary tongue.

CASPIAN

The dead language of Caspian is a descendant of several ancient languages of the first major Menite communities in western Immoren, including the language used in Ancient Icthier. The first written documents, such as the text of the True Law, were inscribed in a tongue that predates Calacian, which was the immediate precursor of Caspian. The Caspian language reached its height during the Thousand Cities Era and quickly became the language of educated discourse. Most ancient Morrowan and Menite texts in the south were written in Caspian, with the most modern and internally consistent version being set down by Ascendant Angellia when she presented the definitive translation of the Enkheiridion.

CYGNARAN

The most direct descendant of Caspian, Cygnaran is the dominant language of the southern Iron Kingdoms, having been widely adopted by the people of the Midlunds and Caspia itself. It is used throughout the region as a trade language and is the national language of both Cygnar and the Protectorate of Menoth, although the latter refers to the language as Sulese. This rich language includes a number of words borrowed from the Orgoth tongue that came into use during the Occupation, as well as many commonly used trade terms for alchemy, engineering, and the arcane.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a language spoken across such a broad geographical area, Cygnaran has numerous dialects. Sulese is easily understood by any Cygnaran speaker, but it has adopted a number of Idrian terms and phrases and includes distinct religious terms. The river folk and swamp denizens of the northern stretches of the Black River are infamous for their “Swampie” language, a dialect that includes many Morridane terms and is thus difficult for the uninitiated to understand. The Arjun people of Thuria employ a similarly dense dialect that mixes Thurian with Cygnaran.

LLAELESE

Llaelese is a direct evolution of the Ryn language of Rynyr and has changed very little since the centuries before the Orgoth Occupation. Even though most Llaelese speak Cygnaran in addition to Llaelese, they have always considered the latter an essential element of their culture. As a result of Llael’s recently ended occupation by Khador, many of its citizens now speak Khadoran as well.

ORDIC

The modern descendant of Tordoran, Ordic is the most widely spoken language of the Ordic people, many of whom are multilingual. The Ordic lexicon includes many Thurian words, as well as a number of Orgoth terms. Numerous words have been borrowed from a variety of languages, likely as a result of Ord’s status as a melting pot filled with seafaring people of all cultures. Ordic is notable as the source of many widely accepted nautical terms, which are familiar to sailors of all nations.
High Tordoris is an Ordic dialect spoken by some of the castellans of Ord. An extension of the original Tordoran language, High Tordoris eschews words borrowed from Thurian. It employs many compound words to express concepts that are simpler in the prescriptive Ordic language, but it is seen by some as a “purer” language suited for artful speaking.

SCHARDE

Many scholars have debated whether the Scharde tongue spoken throughout the Broken Coast and among the denizens of Cryx should be considered its own language or classified as a Cygnaran dialect instead. Because the Nightmare Empire has absorbed people from every mainland kingdom, its language includes words borrowed from Molgur, Morridane, Ordic, Llaelese, and Khadoran. Many traders and sailors of the Broken Coast become passably familiar with Scharde Tongue, if only to make it easier to negotiate with potential captors

KHURZIC LANGUAGES

Most Khurzic languages have begun to fall by the wayside in favor of modern Khadoran, which is spoken pervasively across the Khadoran Empire.

KHURZIC

The roots of the Khurzic languages stretch back to prehistory in the north, making them difficult to trace. Several of these tongues are believed to have been brought to this area by pilgrims who traveled there in around 5500 BR as part of an exodus designed to spread Menite teachings into the northlands. Led by the warrior Belcor and the sage-priest Geth, these disciples sought to translate the True Law into local tongues and preserve these scriptures in writing.
Khurzic uses a distinct alphabet likely derived from the pre-Caspian alphabet once used in Icthier. Like Caspian, Khurzic is no longer spoken but is studied by scholars of ancient history. Most Khurzic languages have begun to fall by the wayside in favor of modern Khadoran, which is spoken pervasively across the Khadoran Empire.

KHADORAN

The language of the Khadoran Empire is the enduring language of the north and has been learned by many who live in the regions bordering its expanding territories. Over the generations, Khadoran has steadily swallowed up rival languages in the north, incorporating a variety of words and phrases from the other Khurzic tongues. Khadoran includes a number of Orgoth-derived terms, as well as some taken from Molgur. Despite regional accents and colloquialisms, Khadoran speakers can communicate easily with one another even though literacy rates among rural Khadorans lag behind those of similar people in other kingdoms.

KOSSITE

Kossite is now seldom used, perhaps due to its scarcity of written literature. The Kossite people have been largely illiterate for most of their history, even after many tribes converted to Menoth. The language is still used in some remote forest communities and among certain families, but Khadoran has nearly swept it aside.

UMBREAN

Umbrean is distinct from Khadoran but bears strong similarities to it; the two languages share both a structure and an alphabet and contain many similar words. Umbrean has been preserved by the people of eastern Khador and those of western Llael and is still spoken both in homes and among other Umbreans. Distinct Umbrean translations of the True Law differ in small but noteworthy ways from their Khadoran counterparts. This language has persisted despite the prevalence of Khadoran, although most Umbreans speak both languages, and many also speak Llaelese, Ordic, or Cygnaran.

MOLGUR LANGUAGES

Molgur has given rise to a number of distinct languages that share many roots and elements. With a bit of exposure and familiarity, speakers of these languages can often make themselves understood to one another, although conveying complex ideas can be difficult. One of the most distinct dialects is that used by the Tharn, who have their own words and phrases but whose language is otherwise quite similar to ancient Molgur.

MOLGUR

The oldest living tongue, Molgur originally spread across western Immoren as a result of the dominance of that tribal people before the Warlord Era. Although this language was once pervasive among worshippers of the Devourer Wurm, its use is now confined to fringe settlements and dialects adopted by Dhunian races. Due to its association with the Wurm, it is sometimes referred to as the “Berserker’s tongue.”

GOBBERISH

Gobberish is the language of western Immoren’s numerous gobbers. Although some linguists refuse to consider it a distinct language, it is arguably as divergent from the original Molgur as Molgur-Trul and is similarly difficult for outsiders to comprehend.
Gobberish is less cohesive and consistent than the other Molgur tongues, frequently becoming an amalgam that incorporates local human tongues. Unsurprisingly, the most broadly spoken dialect includes many Cygnaran terms. Since most southern gobbers can also speak Cygnaran, they sometimes seem to employ Gobberish just to confuse humans who annoy them. They also use it to speak privately to one another, often speaking particularly quickly to further confuse outsiders.

MOLGUR-OG

Molgur-Og was once widely popular among western Immoren’s ogrun. These people added their own words to it over generations, including a great number of curses and swears. No written form of the language is known to exist. In recent years, use of Molgur-Og has declined among ogrun overall, but especially for those who live in Rhul. Most Rhulic ogrun communicate in Rhulic and typically restrict their use of Molgur-Og to Dhunian services and family matters.

MOLGUR-TRUL

Molgur-Trul is the most widely used Molgur tongue and is spoken by trollkin throughout western Immoren. It has diverged more dramatically from its linguistic roots than other Molgur languages and has become the most versatile offshoot of its mother tongue.
Trollkin possess a rich tradition of runic carving, and their written language is as malleable and expressive as their spoken one. This language has spread to other troll species, including full-blood trolls, pygmy trolls, and dire trolls, although their vocabularies and sentence construction are much more limited.

URNYAK

Still spoken by many Skirov, Urnyak is a unique dialect of Molgur. It overlaps somewhat with Molgur-Og, likely due to the proximity of the Skirov to the mountains the ogrun call home.

MORRIDANE LANGUAGES

The most obscure and least widespread of the human language families, the Morridane languages are in serious decline. Morridane had a distinct alphabet in ancient times, but the only two living tongues in this family abandoned it long ago.

MORRIDANE

The language of the people of Morrdh, Morridane is one of the more confusing ancient tongues. This difficulty has made it the subject of far less scholarly study than Caspian, at least among those who are not occultists. Morridane and Caspian are distantly related, both having diverged from one of the tongues of Icthier after the Time of the Burning Sky. Morridane’s original alphabet shares only a few symbols with modern Caspian’s.

IDRIAN

Idrian is on the decline but is still spoken among the remaining tribal nomads living on the fringes of the Protectorate of Menoth and elsewhere across the Bloodstone Marches. The majority of Idrians who converted to the Menite faith a century ago switched to speaking Sulese, and their descendants have spoken it ever since.
Idrian is classified as a Morridane language even though it was heavily influenced by other tongues spoken in this eastern region. In ancient times, a number of Idrian tribes were conquered by Morrdh. This had a tremendous impact on their language, which ended up incorporating many Molgur terms. Although written Idrian once had its own alphabet, it has been largely forgotten, and most of those who speak this tongue cannot read or write Idrian in its original letters. Those Idrians who converted to the worship of the Creator but who still speak Idrian use the Caspian alphabet to write it; other tribes have taken up the Molgur alphabet instead.

THURIAN

Thurian is the most widely spoken of the Morridane languages. Although Thurians do not consider themselves descendants of Morrdh, their kingdom had both regular contact and periodic wars with the dark kingdom and eventually adopted a variant of Morridane mixed with tongues local to the coasts and bogs of the Thurian region. Due to the descendants’ pride in their ancient roots, the use of Thurian has persisted in Ord and northwestern Cygnar for centuries.
Having evolved considerably away from its Morridane roots, however, Thurian has become one of the most distinct of western Immoren’s living tongues. Its unique nature has made it difficult for outsiders to learn, although most Ordsmen know some Thurian as a matter of course. It is considered a “low” language in Ord compared to Ordic or Tordoran, which is a matter of dispute between Thurians and Tordorans. By contrast, Thurian literature is quite popular among the nobles of northwestern Cygnar, where the tongue has a more romantic connotation, and modern Thurian uses the Caspian alphabet.

FIVE CANT

The so-called “Five Cant” is an artificial dialect of Thurian blending Tordoran, Cygnaran, and Caspian. This intentionally confusing dialect is used extensively by the criminals in Five Fingers, its port of origin. The speed at which it is spoken is matched only by the quickness with which it has spread to criminal circles in other cities.

RHULIC

All dwarves and most northern ogrun speak Rhulic, a language that is not generally well known outside of Rhul. Although some human scholars—particularly those who live in communities with dwarven enclaves—have undertaken its study, dwarves who trade regularly with humans prefer to speak in Cygnaran or Khadoran. Written Rhulic is a complex language consisting of numerous runic combinations of geometric shapes, and its alphabet uses a distinct variant for written correspondence that differs from the angular variant used for inscribing text in stone or metal. Most ogrun who live in Rhul can speak Rhulic fluently, and some can even read and write it as a second language, which is useful whenever they must help Rhulic mercenary companies manage their copious records.
Rhulic contains a variety of minor dialects, with the most distinct used among clans who associate least frequently with outsiders. The miners of Ulgar have a distinct dialect, for example, as do the dwarves of the remote eastern settlement of Farhallow. Miner Rhulic is another dialect, favored in Rhulic communities outside the borders of Rhul. It is a simplified version of the language that employs many loanwords from Cygnaran and Khadoran, especially the more colorful swears and colloquialisms.

SHYR

The Iosans speak a language called Shyr, whose name is similar to that of the Iosan capital. This ancient language is extremely complex and features rigid rules of syntax and grammar entirely dissimilar from those of human and dwarven tongues. Written Shyr is not phonetic and uses thousands of intricate glyphs. Shyr is almost never heard outside of Ios, and because the Iosans guard their language as tightly as they do all their secrets, only a handful of scholars outside Ios are familiar with its written form.
Distinct dialectical differences exist not only among those who live in Shyrr, Iryss, and Lynshynal, but also among those who live in some of Ios’ outlying fortifications. Additionally, numerous elven houses have developed terms specific to their use, although these do not generally present a barrier to communication. Members of the Retribution of Scyrah have created an extensive system of gestures that are used in place of spoken language for certain tasks.

AERIC

Aeric, the language of the Nyss, is related to Shyr but diverged considerably after the Nyss left Ios and settled in northern Khador. Its written form, which bears no similarities to Shyr’s, is closely connected with the Nyss religion and is learned almost exclusively by priests and sorcerers.

OTHER LANGUAGES

In addition to the common languages of the human nations, Ios, and Rhul, a great many other tongues are spoken throughout western Immoren. Some of these quite obscure dialects are listed below. Unless indicated otherwise, they all require one rank in Speak Language to learn to speak and write.

DREGGI

The horrid speech of the dregg consists mainly of strange sucking and clicking noises made with the tongue in the back of the throat, occasionally punctuated by odd chortles and sibilant hisses. Although a human might be able to learn this speech, the horrors that would have to be endured during this study would drive even the sanest student over the brink. No one outside the dregg knows whether a written form of Dreggi exists.

FARROW (GRUN)

An odd derivative of Caspian, the farrow language is part pidgin Caspian, part porcine squeals and grunts. Surprisingly, the bestial farrow have a simple written version of their language that uses the Caspian alphabet.

INFERNAL (NOKIRI)

Nokiri has been studied extensively by infernalists and exhaustively documented by members of the Infernal Archive cabal of the Order of Wizardry. Some believe this language is unique to the members of the Nonokrion Order, but the written glyphs the order employs are not exclusive to it, indicating that Nokiri may merely be a dialect of a wider infernal language. Nokiri is not exceptionally difficult to learn, but its obscurity makes having a decent collection of infernal lore on hand a requirement to even begin studying it.

QUOR

Bog trogs and gatormen speak dialects of the odd language known as Quor. These dialects—Quor-Og and Quor-Gar, respectively—are similar enough that the two races can communicate with little trouble. Interestingly, although both dialects are obviously derived from Quor, the mother tongue appears to be a dead language, and no written form of it exists.

SAELAAN

What little is known about the obscure language of the grymkin is based primarily on the odd utterances made by captured members of the race; aside from the knowledge of its existence, Saelaan is completely unknown to outsiders. A written form of this language, composed of nearly incomprehensible glyph-like symbols, apparently exists, scholars can do little more than guess at whatever information it might convey. Saelaan is believed to be derived from the Pre-Calacian language shared by the Defiers, albeit corrupted into its current form during millennia of madness spent in Urcaen.

SATYXI

The language of the Satyxis has a fluid, flowing sound. Despite sharing some interesting commonalities with Caspian, Satyxi uses its own alphabet, which is also known as Satyxi.

THARN

An almost unrecognizable blending of Khurzic and Molgur, the guttural language known as Tharn is full of hard consonants and a few sparsely used vowels. The Tharn themselves do not appear to have a written form of their language; instead, their strong oral traditions help them maintain their tribal lore and family histories.

THRALLSPEAK

Thrallspeak is the language advanced thralls use to issue orders to lesser beings of their kind. This harsh, grating speech is almost impossible for a human to mimic, much less learn, but all thralls seem to understand it innately when they are created. No written form of this language is known to exist.

TKRA

Tkra is the language of dragons. It is most notably spoken by Lord Toruk and his top servitors and priests in Cryx. The Dragonfather’s progeny also speak Tkra, which is all but unknown to outsiders.

ZUNUS

This odd language was brought back from the continent of Zu by the renowned Captain Wexbourne. The written form of Zunus makes use of a large number of highly ornate pictographs and requires a considerable amount time and effort to learn.