Language

This page lists all the languages spoken in-game. A few of these languages have lexicons available.

Current Lexicon Quicklinks

• Estuan Slang
• Deftung Lexicon
• Gioran Lexicon
• Mugrobi Lexicon
• Tek Lexicon

Estuan: The Common Tongue

Estuan is the most commonly spoken language. It stems from the ancient language spoken by the first galdori in Estua, the capital city of Roannah. After the fall, it became something of a universal language as refugees from Roannah settled into the remaining nine kingdoms. It is the default language of this game.

Estuan Slang and Colloquialisms

Magical Slang and Technical Terms

Tek

Tek is not a true language, but involves a slang so incomprehensible that it seems as though Tek speakers are speaking a foreign tongue. It is used mainly by wicks across all Kingdoms they inhabit, but is also used by some members of the human criminal underground and the freedom fighters.

There are many varying degrees of spoken Tek, varying from casual, common usage to full adoption.

The most ancient form of Tek, Deep Tek, has been all but forgotten except by the elders of certain tribes. Modern Tek has no real written language, as the written form of Deep Tek has been lost to the ages. Most wicks guess at Estuan approximations of the sounds involved; this has led to a few idiosyncrasies in Tek spelling, including the use of the letter "j" as the hard "ch" sound. However, it is worth noting that most wicks cannot read or write.

See the full Tek Lexicon

Sign language

Signing is the best way to communicate with the deaf; it is also employed by people who are dumb or have other speech impediments. Many speakers of Tek also sign, because it is an excellent language for espionage and secrecy. Sign language was first developed in Anaxas, and Anaxas boasts the most signers in all the Ten Kingdoms to this day.

Other Languages

Mugrobi

A desert tongue that formed among the traders and tribal societies of Mugroba before the Unification.

Mugrobi is a language used primarily by desert tribes and wicks. It is not spoken much in Mugrobi high society, as Estuan is the official language of the country. Although it has fallen out of popular use, and Mugrobi are almost universally bilingual with a preference for Estuan, it is still useful for foreigners to know a word or two.

Mugrobi is a lyrical language that was developed mainly for use in poetry and song. It has an unusual mark that breaks up certain words (a small dot) represented here by an apostrophe ('). This dot indicates a break in meaning but not in pronunciation. Many words in Mugrobi are several words joined together to form a larger meaning. Many words in Mugrobi became borrowed words in Tek.

It is uncommon for a Mugrobi native to speak Mugrobi to an outsider or non-citizen.

Mugrobi Lexicon

Deftung

The now-defunct native language of Hox. Most speakers of Deftung are human, though some galdori still speak it in isolated, religious communities in the mountains.

Deftung Lexicon

Gioran

The second official language of Gior, besides Estuan. Gioran is full of vowels and many syllables, a very far contrast to the hard, short words of Deftung in Hox.

Gioran Lexicon

Heshath

The unofficial human language of Hesse, used mainly in Hessean goldmines to confuse galdori overseers. It is considered a lowly peasant language, as it is more grammatically simplistic than Estuan.

Examples (from the Perils of Shoecaster, a Heshath opera): "On tåtha emil-åroñ, dreidatha-oriñ on ågenda..."

"Beifoañ on ågenda te bevårue / Ne ceiñ as darcåtha on amo"

Naulanese

The offical language of Naulanon, if it can be called that. The jungle tribes speak various dialects of the root language, each grammatically distinct from one another; this creates a difficult language barrier when attempting to move among the tribes.

Riverword

A language spoken by river traders in the Vales. It is a concise and practical language with a distinct accent, though many theorize that it developed from the original language of Bastia (which is no longer in existence).

Sho

The language of Shotha. There are two main dialects: Sho Ze and Sho Doa. Ze is spoken in Northern Shotha, while Doa is spoken in the Tree Tribes in the South and East. These dialects are tied together by a system of writing, but the meanings are not similar at all.

A note on roleplaying in other languages

If your character is speaking a language other than Estuan, you must say so in context in your RP. For example, this exerpt shows a graceful transition between Estuan (the default) and Mugrobi:

"Thanks for the ride," she shouted after him, in a falsely cheery voice. She watched the man as he drove the cart away, muttering "...you bastard..." in her native Mugrobi.

Learning Languages

Please use language responsibly; you must explain how your character came to learn a language if it is not a standard language for his or her people. Please see Linguistics Skill in the Character Creation Guide for further information on starting languages and learning additional ones.