Abilities: 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 Paralanguages:

• Common. The official paralanguage of the United Earth Federation. Adopted by the UEF in 2390 as the lingua franca of humanity, most characters in the 2840 setting are assumed to speak, read, and write in Common even if they have no other training in linguistics. Common was originally created by a computer to blend all five of Earth’s emerging paralanguages into a useful Ur-language that all humanity could use. Despite Common’s wide-spread use, many people groups actively resist speaking the Common Tongue, especially if they have developed a separatist identity opposed to the rule of the United Earth Federation.
• Yóu-Yǔyán. A hybrid language consisting of Chinese, Japanese, and English influences that developed in the 2200’s as East-Asian energy conglomerates began experimenting with computer generated language models to conduct cross-cultural business. Yóu-Yǔyán is considered one of the five predecessors of the Common Tongue—the lingua franca of the United Earth Federation. Yóu-Yǔyán is still in general use in East Asia and among the settlers of the Asteroid belt.
• Conglomerado. A paralanguage created by the refugees of the great deluge when the Earth’s polar ice caps melted. Mainly a mixture of Greek, Portuguese, and the occasional Dutch loan-word, Conglomerado is the second most common language in the Solar System. Nearly every settler on the moons of Jupiter speaks Conglomerado as their native tongue, even though the United Earth Federation has insisted on Common as the officially sanctioned language of the solar system. Conglomerado is considered one of the five predecessors of the Common Tongue—the lingua franca of the United Earth Federation.
• Tata.A cosmopolitan language mixing Hindi, Arabic, and English influences that developed organically in the 2200’s as Middle Eastern aero-space firms employed linguists to create a unique language for commerce and travel. This methodology avoided using computer generated language models and is widely considered the most pleasant-sounding of Earth’s hybrid paralanguages. Tata is considered one of the five predecessors of the Common Tongue—the lingua franca of the United Earth Federation. Tata continues to be used among Arcane and Gangsta communities for use in religious and civil services (Especially on Mars and the moons of Saturn).
• App. A hybrid language revealing English and Spanish influences that developed in the 2200’s as Silicon Valley tech companies began experimenting with computer generated language models to conduct cross-cultural business. App is considered one of the five predecessors of the Common Tongue—the lingua franca of the United Earth Federation. App was adopted as the official language of the Mexican Empire during the 4th world war (2271-2512). By the year 2840, it is mostly spoken among migrant populations around the moons of Saturn and Neptune.
• Bedryf. A paralanguage designed by computers in the late 2200s to serve as a uniting language for all the people groups of Africa. Like App and Yóu-Yǔyán, it became the primary language of business and communication for the African region—a state of affairs that lasted for over a century before the United Earth Federation mandated the Common Tongue as the official language of humanity. Today, Bedryf is spoken by deep space settlers on the moons of Uranus and Neptune, as well as the most distant settlements of the Ort Cloud. Bedryf is considered one of the five predecessors of the Common Tongue and a direct forbearer of deep space languages like Gristle and Diasporan.

Earth Languages not affiliated with the United Earth Federation:

• Russian is the preferred language of the Zmaj who control a sizable chunk of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
• French is the preferred language of the Jabois Beaux 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:

• 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.