Languages of Argos

Low Speech

Erian (Common Tongue)
The language spoken by Erians from Livonia in the north, to Tauros in the south. It is a mix of several old languages, and each nation has its own, very distinct dialect. A Pendrellian captain may haggle over the price of wine with an Alemani merchant, but both will find it difficult to keep a conversation about something outside their common business flowing. Erian is essentially a pidgin tongue, and as such no established linguistic rules exist. 

Skythic
Diplomats, nobles and scholars look at the Erian language with disdain. It has been said that you speak Common to your dog, but with your peers you converse in Skythic. The language hails back to the old Skythian Empire, and most works of litterature are written in Skythic.


Erian characters: 1 dot in Academics includes literacy and knowledge of Skythic.

Inbaric
The many tribes of the Hannuman Caliphate are united by the common language of the ancient Inbari. It is spoken in desert tents, in the caravanserais, and in the magnificent cities of the Caliphate.

Rukuwarian
The peoples of the Eastern Principalities trace their origin back to the Rukuwar tribe that settled the lands east of the White Ocean in the second century of Enlightenment. While Erian is spoken by merchants in the White Ocean ports, commoners speak nothing but Rukuwarian, and nobles will often deny knowledge of any other language.

Grawbehn
The realm of the Wolf Lords, Draccia, has its own language, and few outside the port city of Grayhaven speak anything but their distinct, harsh language.

Güthrakh
The foul tongue of the Orc.


High Speech
High Skythic
A complex language, almost unchanged since the days of the Erian Empire. It is the ceremonial language of the Temple of Man Supreme, and is concidered the youngest of the High Tongues. Most texts from the last centuries of the Second Age is penned in this language.

Aryadic
Predating High Skythic, this High Tongue is seldom used outside the Realm of the Hermetic Order. It is sometimes referred to as Wizard's Speech, or Arcane, and in the Pogroms of Southern Eria being able to read Aryadic is concidered heresy.

Abyssal
The origin of Deepspeak is unknown, but some scholars -- of the few who are aware of its existence -- believe that it was the language of an ancient civilization that once lay on the northern shores of the Dark Continent. The few written examples, mostly fragments of stone tablets, have all been found in forgotten ruins in the Colonies. What is known is that Abyssal has strong connections to the Abyss.


Learning Abyssal brings with it dangers to the soul, and each time a new dot is purchased, roll Humanity - current dots.

Endarin
The Elftongue is said to hold great power over all things in Creation.


Dead Languages
The tribes of the old Skythian Empire each had their own language, but today these are only spoken by people in secluded regions, or by nationalist orders and lodges tracing their roots to before the Covenant. These days, the written languages of old can be found on runestones and in a few ancient texts.

These languages include:
• Penderii
• Alemani
• Livonian
• Wezelli
• Narbonese
• Aragania
• Rôharan

• Materassi




[Picture source: Economic History Blog]