Logs
LANGUAGES OF XYLLOMER ===================== Greetings adventurers! Very often we meet people who are speaking languages that we might have never heard before, or have no idea about. Well this book is to help us appear to be smarter than we are. Or, for the more productive among us, it is also to give us tips on where we can look to learn some of these languages. Obviously, you will want to have trained your language skill as much as possible in order to be able to learn to recognize these differing tongues. At the moment, there are 13 languages which are known to exist. They are listed from the most common to the hardest to find, so for those of you who are a little more familiar with the subject, you can skip down to the end of this book. A tip on learning languages - most shop or shrinekeepers speak their own racial language when they first wake up in the morning. They only switch to Xyllic when someone requests that they do so by asking a question in the common tongue. To see what language a shop or shrinekeeper is speaking without disturbing them, you can always introduce yourself and wait to see how they answer you. The best way I have found to learn languages is to find a shrine- keeper of the appropriate race or persuasion, and then have someone proficient in their native language ask for a sermon. Given that noone else asks the shrinekeeper anything else between the request for the sermon and the actual preaching, there is a high chance that you will get to hear quite a mouthful in the priest's native tongue. Another good way to learn languages is to use this tactic in shops - always try to barter in the racial language of the shopkeeper, if possible. And barter for every last copper coin you can get - the lesson in language is much more valuable than the money you save! XYLLIC ====== Xyllic is the language we all know, and in all likelihood, speak most frequently. It is the common tongue, and the universal language most people use to communicate. Almost every shopkeeper in the world speaks at least some Xyllic, as well as most every humanoid adventurer. ZIDA'YA ======= Zida'ya is the racial language of the elves, and listed as the second most common language in this book because of the high volume of elvish adventurers one is likely to meet. Elohim is the best place to go if one wants to learn this language. GHANT ===== Ghant is the racial language of humans. It is spoken mostly in Padorn, although humans have such a widespread influence over the world that it is not really difficult to find someone who can speak this language, no matter where you travel. KANUC ===== Kanuc is the racial language of dwarves. It is spoken mostly in Stone Mountains, although there are a few other dwarvish settlements where one can find native speakers. KISHREN ======= Kishren is the racial language of gnomes. Ki-Eren-Home or Asyra are good places to hear this odd tongue, which due to its rarity, is a bit more complicated to learn. NABBANAI ======== Nabbanai is the racial language of fairies, and like Kishren, is also quite difficult to learn. The island of Atlantis, or more specifically, the Fairy Castle located within Atlantis, is one of the best places to try and learn this tongue. SHAKRUL ======= Shakrul is the language of darkness, meaning orcs, goblins, trolls, etc. There are several different dialects of Shakrul, most sounding very similar, but the plain fact of the matter is that if one ever gets into the habit of fighting orcs, which is pretty much unavoidable at one point or the other, one is going to learn at least a little bit of Shakrul. Thus most adventurers have learned to speak this language, if only by circumstance. There is a goblin school located on the coast of Cloud Bottom, where one can train this language to a very poor level, but it's hardly worth it. ANCIENT LANGUAGE ================ Ancient language refers to obscure and ancient tongues which are most usually used in the practice of either religion or magic. While not a common tongue, it is relatively easy to hear if one comes across a group of magicians or clerics. The Monestary of Rokoon teaches the ancient language to a low degree, and individual priests sometimes take it upon themselves to instruct other adventurers to a slightly more competent level. For the most part, however, listening to others speak, or attending extremely long sermons of Rokoon in the Temple of Padorn, which are almost always held in ancient language, is the best way to learn it. BUKKEN ====== Bukken is the racial language of the centaurs. Because the centaurs are a dying race, and a good majority of the few that remain seem to consider their language priviledged, it is pretty difficult to find someone to instruct others in it. Razza would be a good place to try, but even there it can be difficult to find a centaur willing to speak in Bukken. AK'HARAT ======== Ak'harat is the language of giants and their relatives, and is not very complex in structure or syntax. Trying to learn this language can be very dangerous to your health, since giants generally prefer to keep to themselves. Still, for the determined, the best place to learn it is in the giant community, which is located on the path between Cloud Bottom and Silverlining, in the mountains. KURUSHI ======= Kurushi is the sacred language of the Warshrikes, and named after their primary deity, Akai-Kurushi. As of yet, I have only seen Warshrikes speaking this language, and obviously, they are not offering to teach it to psionics :) Still, if you hang around enough Warshrikes, you might pick up a few words. NAHUATL ======= Nahuatl is the language spoken in the Yucutan, and by jungle tribes in general. That being said, the best place to learn it is in the Yucutan. Depending on who you are, this can also sometimes be dangerous to your health, and so it is usually good to ask for permission of one of the members of Huitzilopochtli's orders to do this, before making an excursion of your own. KHATJALA ======== Khatjala is the language of the fremen people, and very rarely heard. Since most fremen can also speak perfect Xyllic and passing ghant, it is also very difficult to get them to speak in their obscure tongue. The best place to try and learn it are from deep desert settlements of fremen, rather than Lonar. The trading camp set up at the oasis would be one good example of deep desert fremen. OTHER LANGUAGES =============== I don't like to list languages that I have no proof of existing. Still, there have been times when I have heard other people speaking tongues that even I am not able to identify. I would not be surprised at all to find there are many more languages that are still waiting to be discovered. If anyone discovers or suspects the existence of more languages, please feel free to mail me so that I can make the necessary updates. Blue Du'Sonsa 19.3.290 A.F
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