Languages
A wide variety of languages are spoken in Galoria; Common is the most widespread and is considered the first or secondary language of all Galorian nations established in the Second Era. However, the various races and cultures of Galoria have taken great care in preserving the shattered remains of their First-Era tongues, and thus many old languages still remain in use. Many of these languages, especially racial languages, also see wide use in Kaleidos.
Spoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Common
The universal language of the Material Plane, a human language that was standardized at the beginning of the Second Era by the Eternal Kingdom. It is spoken all throughout Galoria, as well as the rest of the world.
Spoken Region: Kaamos, Cradle, Bridge
Script: Dwarvish
The oldest language of Galoria, spoken by the Dwarves. Dwarvish script has since been appropriated into use by various other tongues. If you can read Dwarvish, it’s easy to decipher other languages.
Spoken Region: Aldheim, Feywild, Underdark, New Kaers Republic
Script: Elvish
The language spoken by elves, commonly accepted as the most beautiful language in Galoria no matter what’s being said.
Spoken Region: Eterna, Aldheim
Script: Dwarvish
Its use of Dwarvish script stems from their ancestral homelands in south Kaamos, before the Forest and City gnomes split and moved to their respective provinces.
Spoken Region: Eterna, Kaamos
Script: Common
Halfling language and culture relied almost universally on oral tradition, they did not have a formal script until the standardization of Common in the Second Era.
Spoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Common
CSL is the gestural equivalent of Common with the same grammar and script. It is designed for the hearing or vocally impaired and sees use in such communities.
Spoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Morse, Common
Morse Code translates every character of the Common script into a series of on/off signals, such as a flashing light or a series of short tones. Designed for long-distance communication, Morse can be understood by a skilled listener or observer with or without equipment. Morse is most commonly used in telegraphs to transmit information.
Spoken Region: Kaamos
Script: Dwarvish
A First Era language that has persisted through Halfling oral folklore, Kaamosi evolved from Dwarvish contact with humans and halflings, and found subsequent adoption by Orcs when they migrated territories. It is thought to have helped spread the use of Dwarvish script in Orcish and Halfling languages. Kaamosi has fallen out of everyday use, but it is sung in folk ballads and war-songs.
Spoken Region: Inishi
Script: Draconic
A First Era language that is still used in Inishi today. Its complex grammar and logographic characters evolved from ancient Draconic scripts, designed to be written with Tabaxi and Dragonborn claws in quick strokes. Consequently, it is infamously difficult to learn for anyone else.
Spoken Region: Eterna
Script: Common
Due to Scrapshire’s isolated community and location, its language evolved to encompass its culture of mechanics, junk-sorting, trade and survival. Thieves' Cant and vernacular common combined with technical terminology, contracted idioms, Dwarvish loanwords and industry jargon to form a very specific dialect of Common understood only by Scrapshire denizens. To outsiders, Scrap-Pidgin is unmistakably Common, albeit sounding like heavily Dwarvish-accented word salad.
Spoken Region: Underdark, Duskwitch
Script: Elvish
An offshoot of Elvish born of Drow contact with other Underdark races. Undercommon is usually spoken by traders or travellers of the Underdark, and although the script resembles Elvish the two are mutually unintelligible-- Undercommon is a far more blunt, pronounced with glottal stops and sharp consonants far removed from the flowing nature of Elvish tongue.
Spoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Dwarvish
Goblins worked out a basic written form though stolen Dwarvish books and artefacts. It is somehow chirpy and guttural at the same time, a phonetic feat only possible if one is a very small, very angry sort of creature.
Script: Dwarvish
Spoken Region: Kaamos, Cradle, Brengar
Another ancient language, spoken by the isolated giants who wander around Kaamos and Brengar. It was Dwarves who translated it into written form.
Script: Infernal
Spoken Region: Abyssal Planes
A language steeped in magic that hails from the Chaotic Evil Planes. Abyssal is never learned; it is only gained-- through inheritance, dark pacts, or contact with ancient and usually forbidden magics. A popular urban legend says Abyssal has 44 words for 'destruction', but no words for 'charity'.
Script: Infernal
Spoken Region: Infernal Planes, Zaman
In a nutshell, 'Abyssal You Can Understand But Don't Get Me Wrong, It's Still Really Evil'. Like Abyssal, Infernal is most commonly learned by pact or inheritance (as is most often the case with Tieflings, they just know it by nature). Unlike Abyssal, it can be studied and compiled into magical texts. Apparently Infernal is structured in such a way that one can both tell the truth and lie at the same time, which says a lot about Devil culture in general.
Script: Celestial
Spoken Region: Anywhere
The holy language of the Gods, often rigorously studied by religious scholars and the devout. Its sacred nature means it is almost never spoken in everyday situations; it is reserved for rituals and rites.
Script: Elvish
Spoken Region: Feywild, Aldheim, Shadowfell
Sylvan is the precursor to modern Elvish, and somehow sounds more beautiful and yet more primal at the same time. Written Sylvan appears Elvish, but carries various quirks-- reading it upside-down gives a different meaning, sentences are structured in such a way that it is impossible to lie. Eladrin Sylvan is emotive and sing-song in its delivery and scripture, whilst Shadar-Kai Sylvan is spoken and written with absolutely zero inflection whatsoever. A learned outsider can easily understand both, but Eladrin and Shadar-Kai find each other's respective dialects impossible to comprehend. Such is the nature of polar opposites.
Script: Dwarvish
Spoken Region: Gate Isles, Alder-Kaers, Onamata
The language of the Elemental Chaos, spoken by various dispersed races across the Isles. Primordial is best known as an emotive and passionate language, with a staggering amount of mutually intelligible dialects: Auran, Terran, Ignan, Aquan all have unique tones but the same basic structure. It should also be noted that Aarakocran, the language of the Aarakocra, is itself an offshoot of Auran.
Script: N/A
Spoken Region: Underdark
The most mysterious and perplexing of speech, Deep Speech has no script. It is entirely communicated telepathically, and is best described as a series of abstract thoughts and emotions that somehow make sense. Trying to understand Deep Speech is maddening. A few lunatics have claimed that Deep Speech has also been spoken by 'psionic aliens from Astral Space', but that's nonsense really.
Major Languages
Common
Typical Speakers: HumansSpoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Common
The universal language of the Material Plane, a human language that was standardized at the beginning of the Second Era by the Eternal Kingdom. It is spoken all throughout Galoria, as well as the rest of the world.
Dwarvish
Typical Speakers: Dwarves, Kaamos NativesSpoken Region: Kaamos, Cradle, Bridge
Script: Dwarvish
The oldest language of Galoria, spoken by the Dwarves. Dwarvish script has since been appropriated into use by various other tongues. If you can read Dwarvish, it’s easy to decipher other languages.
Elvish
Typical Speakers: High Elves, Wood Elves, Drow, Sea Elves, Eladrin/Shadar-KaiSpoken Region: Aldheim, Feywild, Underdark, New Kaers Republic
Script: Elvish
The language spoken by elves, commonly accepted as the most beautiful language in Galoria no matter what’s being said.
Gnomish
Typical Speakers: GnomesSpoken Region: Eterna, Aldheim
Script: Dwarvish
Its use of Dwarvish script stems from their ancestral homelands in south Kaamos, before the Forest and City gnomes split and moved to their respective provinces.
Halfling
Typical Speakers: HalflingsSpoken Region: Eterna, Kaamos
Script: Common
Halfling language and culture relied almost universally on oral tradition, they did not have a formal script until the standardization of Common in the Second Era.
Common Sign Language
Typical Speakers: EveryoneSpoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Common
CSL is the gestural equivalent of Common with the same grammar and script. It is designed for the hearing or vocally impaired and sees use in such communities.
Galorian Languages
Morse Code
Typical Speakers: Technicians, SoldiersSpoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Morse, Common
Morse Code translates every character of the Common script into a series of on/off signals, such as a flashing light or a series of short tones. Designed for long-distance communication, Morse can be understood by a skilled listener or observer with or without equipment. Morse is most commonly used in telegraphs to transmit information.
Kaamosi
Typical Speakers: Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, OrcsSpoken Region: Kaamos
Script: Dwarvish
A First Era language that has persisted through Halfling oral folklore, Kaamosi evolved from Dwarvish contact with humans and halflings, and found subsequent adoption by Orcs when they migrated territories. It is thought to have helped spread the use of Dwarvish script in Orcish and Halfling languages. Kaamosi has fallen out of everyday use, but it is sung in folk ballads and war-songs.
Old Inishian
Typical Speakers: Galorian Dragonborn, TabaxiSpoken Region: Inishi
Script: Draconic
A First Era language that is still used in Inishi today. Its complex grammar and logographic characters evolved from ancient Draconic scripts, designed to be written with Tabaxi and Dragonborn claws in quick strokes. Consequently, it is infamously difficult to learn for anyone else.
Scrap-Pidgin
Typical Speakers: Scrapshire Denizens, ThievesSpoken Region: Eterna
Script: Common
Due to Scrapshire’s isolated community and location, its language evolved to encompass its culture of mechanics, junk-sorting, trade and survival. Thieves' Cant and vernacular common combined with technical terminology, contracted idioms, Dwarvish loanwords and industry jargon to form a very specific dialect of Common understood only by Scrapshire denizens. To outsiders, Scrap-Pidgin is unmistakably Common, albeit sounding like heavily Dwarvish-accented word salad.
Uncommon Languages
Undercommon
Typical Speakers: DrowSpoken Region: Underdark, Duskwitch
Script: Elvish
An offshoot of Elvish born of Drow contact with other Underdark races. Undercommon is usually spoken by traders or travellers of the Underdark, and although the script resembles Elvish the two are mutually unintelligible-- Undercommon is a far more blunt, pronounced with glottal stops and sharp consonants far removed from the flowing nature of Elvish tongue.
Goblin
Typical Speakers: GoblinoidsSpoken Region: Everywhere
Script: Dwarvish
Goblins worked out a basic written form though stolen Dwarvish books and artefacts. It is somehow chirpy and guttural at the same time, a phonetic feat only possible if one is a very small, very angry sort of creature.
Giant
Typical Speakers: Ogres, GiantsScript: Dwarvish
Spoken Region: Kaamos, Cradle, Brengar
Another ancient language, spoken by the isolated giants who wander around Kaamos and Brengar. It was Dwarves who translated it into written form.
Abyssal
Typical Speakers: Devils, DemonsScript: Infernal
Spoken Region: Abyssal Planes
A language steeped in magic that hails from the Chaotic Evil Planes. Abyssal is never learned; it is only gained-- through inheritance, dark pacts, or contact with ancient and usually forbidden magics. A popular urban legend says Abyssal has 44 words for 'destruction', but no words for 'charity'.
Infernal
Typical Speakers: Devils, TieflingsScript: Infernal
Spoken Region: Infernal Planes, Zaman
In a nutshell, 'Abyssal You Can Understand But Don't Get Me Wrong, It's Still Really Evil'. Like Abyssal, Infernal is most commonly learned by pact or inheritance (as is most often the case with Tieflings, they just know it by nature). Unlike Abyssal, it can be studied and compiled into magical texts. Apparently Infernal is structured in such a way that one can both tell the truth and lie at the same time, which says a lot about Devil culture in general.
Celestial
Typical Speakers: Celestials, Aasimar, ClericsScript: Celestial
Spoken Region: Anywhere
The holy language of the Gods, often rigorously studied by religious scholars and the devout. Its sacred nature means it is almost never spoken in everyday situations; it is reserved for rituals and rites.
Sylvan
Typical Speakers: Eladrin, Shadar-Kai, FeyScript: Elvish
Spoken Region: Feywild, Aldheim, Shadowfell
Sylvan is the precursor to modern Elvish, and somehow sounds more beautiful and yet more primal at the same time. Written Sylvan appears Elvish, but carries various quirks-- reading it upside-down gives a different meaning, sentences are structured in such a way that it is impossible to lie. Eladrin Sylvan is emotive and sing-song in its delivery and scripture, whilst Shadar-Kai Sylvan is spoken and written with absolutely zero inflection whatsoever. A learned outsider can easily understand both, but Eladrin and Shadar-Kai find each other's respective dialects impossible to comprehend. Such is the nature of polar opposites.
Primordial
Typical Speakers:Sea Elves, Genasi, AarakocraScript: Dwarvish
Spoken Region: Gate Isles, Alder-Kaers, Onamata
The language of the Elemental Chaos, spoken by various dispersed races across the Isles. Primordial is best known as an emotive and passionate language, with a staggering amount of mutually intelligible dialects: Auran, Terran, Ignan, Aquan all have unique tones but the same basic structure. It should also be noted that Aarakocran, the language of the Aarakocra, is itself an offshoot of Auran.
Deep Speech
Typical Speakers: Aberrations, MindflayersScript: N/A
Spoken Region: Underdark
The most mysterious and perplexing of speech, Deep Speech has no script. It is entirely communicated telepathically, and is best described as a series of abstract thoughts and emotions that somehow make sense. Trying to understand Deep Speech is maddening. A few lunatics have claimed that Deep Speech has also been spoken by 'psionic aliens from Astral Space', but that's nonsense really.
Shh, it's a Secret!
Two languages of note are not listed in most language encyclopaedias, but are commonly used amongst select members of the populace.Thieves' Cant is the secret language of rogues, burglars and ne'er-do-wells. It's a mish-mash of slang, sign languages and symbols placed in strategic locations to alert other thieves of news without being caught. Thieves' Cant can be seen everywhere, but it is particularly well-known in the seedy Undertown of Gran Veritas, or the far reaches of Scrapshire.
Druidic is the secret language of Druids, and it is as much of a language as it is a sort of spiritual headspace. Druidic is said to be taught by ancient nature spirits and archfey one word at a time, and thus the odler and more experienced the Druid, the more complex their speech. All of this is just conjecture of course-- Druids are extremely hard to chase down and interview due to most of them being classified as Hedge Wizards.
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