Languages

Languages are ever-important at this time, one universal way to communicate doesn't exist in a readily available form, and thus people are stuck only able to communicate with those who share a tongue with them. Thus, those who can translate for rulers or scholars are incredibly beneficial. With new languages coming from other species too, this is more important than ever.

The real-life human languages presented here are often the forms of a language which would be present in the early 1200s AD.

Alternate Language Rules: Alternatively you may wish to run a fantasy setting with a common language shared by all to expedite understanding between people. In this case you can create a universal tongue and call it "Common" or "Trade", and treat that as everyone's Native Language on top of their species' native languages, or start people with at least Apprentice Rank in it. However you may choose to do it, you needn't follow the language rules as presented here to the letter, as it is mostly included for authenticity and flavor.

Writing Systems

Different languages have writing systems associated with them, some of which are adopted by other non-human languages for written forms.

The following are examples of writing systems of the 1200s.

• Latin: Used commonly among Western Europe, Latin script replaced many writing systems like the runic Futhark in some regions.

• Cyrillic: Used in Eastern Europe - especially around Russia, Bulgaria, and Ukraine, it was introduced in the 800s AD from Bulgaria.

• Greek: Used in Greece as well as being an ancestor to Latin and Cyrillic, Greek is considered a basis for many European alphabets.

• Hanzi: A logogrammatic system of writing used for Chinese, consisting of many characters.

  • Hanja: Korean incorporated Hanzi characters, combining them with native Korean pronunciations instead.

  • Kanji: Similarly, Japanese incorporated Hanzi characters, and combined them with native Japanese pronunciations.

• Armenian: Used only in the Armenian language. Of note, Armenian abbreviates the the Christian God as Ած՟.

• Georgian: Used only in the Georgian language.

• Arabic:

• Hebrew:

• Geʽez: The writing system of Ethiopic languages,

Human Languages

• • Middle English (aka English)

  • Middle High German (aka German)

  • Middle Dutch (aka Dutch)

  • Classic Irish (aka Irish Gaelic)

  • Old Hungarian (aka Hungarian)

(For most languages, writing the name of the modern form is acceptable. It is assumed at this time, the early form of the language is being used).

Nonhuman Languages

Non-Human Languages are usually either completely different from human languages (and difficult to replicate), or are similar to human languages and thus have potential similarities (such as those among Elves and Dwarves).

Languages are grouped into "Super Groups" which encompass other languages which may not be mutually intelligible, then into groups which are related (and may be mutually intelligible), and finally dialects which aren't true languages.

• Beastial

  • • Garou

    • Gnoll

    • Kursk

    • Skira

    • Tengu

• Bullish

  • • Bugbear

    • Goblin (Mutually intelligible with Ork)

    • Ogre

    • Ork

• Draconic

  • • Drakken

• Fairy

  • • Dwarven

    • Elven

    • Fae

    • Gnomish (Mutually intelligible with Elven)

    • Halfling (Mutually intelligible with Dwarven)

    • Neu

    • Sori

• Holy

  • • Angelic

• Humanoid

  • • Ashier (Mutually intelligible with Middle High German)

    • Ernal (Mutually intelligible with Old Hungarian)

    • Fuyrani

    • Ifrit

    • Kendarin

• Undead

  • • Ælios

    • Shiel

    • Sket

    • Zomn

• Unholy

  • • Demonic