Ottertian

Language of the Lutrines

A language that is welcomed in many parts of the world for its joyful sound, many travelers will recognize it from storytellers and Bards because of how it can be used to accentuate a story. Common speakers of this language are primarily Lutrines and those that have journeyed near the small coastal and river communities that they inhabit, it is easily spoken by those with the will to learn and regarded as a cheerful language. The culture that this language comes from has a strong oral tradition and because of that a script has never been developed for this language, rather the Common language or other local scripts seems to be the fallback that Lutrines will use if they are forced to write.
The earliest appearance of this language rests solidly with the appearance of Lutrines as a race, while a young one in the world they are known widely and welcomed by most other cultures. Despite the language of Ottertian being fully complete and capable of expressing complex ideas, there is no writing that has a direct tie to the script, the culture of Lutrines seems to get along completely fine without any need for written words. The vocal component of the language is composed entirely of squeaks, humming sounds, clicks, and whistles that are easily produced by most creatures which makes it a first choice to learn for most Bards that have access to a native speaker. The language has been noted to be highly expressive and seems to convey the idea of tenses through the use of different pitches with past articles requiring a high pitch and future articles requiring a low one, especially when expressing uncertainty. This language has a widespread presence anywhere near the coasts, rivers, and large lakes but it is mostly found in the small communities that Lutrines tend to create.
The advantages of speaking this language lie in your desire to communicate with Lutrines, they are already a hospitable people but speaking their language often prompts instant camaraderie. The language also is used widely in storytelling and some songs, though it isn't as beautiful as Elvish it goes farther in pleasing a jovial or inebriated crowd and seems to be easily used in drinking songs. There are no particular disadvantages to speaking this language and it does not cause unrest or division among any species that would normally be friendly.

Spoken by

• Lutrine Culture