Knowledge: Linguistics

All characters are assumed to be able to speak, read, and write in their native tongue. Additional languages known by a character are represented by the Knowledge. A high level of proficiency in Linguistics often indicates a broad knowledge of language theory allowing such characters to more easily decipher languages they have not studied before. Characters without the Linguistics Knowledge are assumed to know only one language (often the Lingua Franca tongue known as Common). It is possible for a character to start with a language other than Common, but in that case they would not understand most of the in-game conversations that happen around them. Common information rolls using Linguistics include translating verbal communications from one language to another, understanding the gist of a conversation conducted in a language you have studied, and identifying a language based on context clues, cognates, and accents of the speakers. Linguistics study rolls involve translating a large document or speech into another language, reading technical or stylized literature in another language, and examining an unknown language for syntax and grammatical patterns.

Ability Levels:

0	Ignorant: You can only read and write in one language (probably Common) and you have no linguistic skills to help you understand or identify other languages.
1	High School: You have studied one additional language besides your native tongue. You can read and write reasonably in both languages.
2	College: You have studied two additional language besides your native tongue. You can read and write reasonably in all three languages.
3	Masters: You have studied four additional language besides your native tongue. You can read and write reasonably in every language you know.
4	Doctorate: You have studied eight additional language besides your native tongue. You also easily see connections between languages and cognates.
5	Scholar: You have studied fifteen additional language besides your native tongue. You are even able to translate obscure languages if given enough time.

Earth Languages:

• Common is the universal trade language spoken by most humans throughout the solar system. Most 2840 characters speak Common as their native tongue.
• Spanglish is an English-Spanish hybrid spoken by most Federation Citizens living on Earth’s Western hemisphere.
• Chinglish is an English-Chinese hybrid spoken by most Federation Citizens living on Earth’s Eastern hemisphere.
• Hinglish is a Hindi-English hybrid spoken by most federation Citizens living in Africa, Antarctica and the Indian sub-continent
• Russian is the preferred language of the Tzimisce who control a sizable chunk of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
• French is the preferred language of the Toreador who control a sizeable church of Western Europe and North Africa.
• Trine is the numeric language of computers and artificial intelligences, it can be understood by humans, but transmitting data in Trine (it is never verbally spoken) usually requires cybernetics and a CPU implanted within a human brain.

Mars Languages:

• Snydead is the alien language of the native Martian mole-people known as Snydeads.
• Diasporan is dialect of Common spoken by many Earth refugees living on Mars that is often used by patriots who favor Martian independence from the Earth Federation.

Deep-Space Languages:

• Portu-Greek is the most frequent language spoken by the Earth settlers dwelling on the moons and asteroids surrounding the planets of Jupiter and Saturn.
• Klact-Sign is a sign language used by the sentient plants native to Jupiter’s moon of Europa.
• Gristle is a pigeon language spoken by many deep-space colonists living beyond the orbit of Saturn. Many Arcanes and Gangstas of Mars also chose to speak Gristle as well as a means of establishing a separatist identity.
• Con is the unique language spoken by the convicts dwelling on Neptune’s prison moon to Triton.
• Tourian is the rarely studied language of the deep space Tourian aliens, also known as “world eaters”. Few learn this dialect and live to tell about it.

Ancient (Scholarly) Languages:

• Latin is the language of ancient Rome and is learned by scholars who specialize in the occult, history, and law.
• Koine is the language of the ancient Greeks and it is learned by scholars who specialize in history, philosophy, and religion.
• Hebrew is the language of the ancient Israelites and it is learned by scholars who specialize in religion, Jewish studies, and ancient near-eastern History.
• Arabic is the language of the ancient Arabs and it is learned by scholars who specialize in religion, mathematics, and history.
• English is the language of the ancient British and American empires and it is learned by scholars who specialize in recent history and Caucasian studies.
• Mandarin is the language of the ancient Chinese and it is learned by scholars who specialize in Eastern mysticism, non-Western history, meditation, and Do.
• Spanish is the language of the Mexican empire and it is learned by scholars who specialize in recent history and Hispanic studies.

Possessed by:

Diplomats, Administratives, Spies, Scholars, Tour Guides, Liberal Artists, Translators, Linguists, Immigrants.

Sample Specialties: 
Written Translations, Spoken Translations, Slang, Ciphers and Codes, Any Specific Language Listed Below.
Players may choose a specialty at level 4 and gain a second specialty at level 5.