Languages of Eberron

  The languages found in Eberron are different from those described in the Core Rulebook. This list is not exhaustive, so additional languages could appear over the course of the campaign, but it gives a base line for what you as a player can start with or might experience.   Each language entry will list a script and parent language, when appropriate. This information is useful in determining the difficulty of translation and learning a new language. Additionally, languages have additional traits.  

  Blue Original languages that sprung into existence as a result of the planes or magic. Blue languages do not have dialects and do not change without external influence. For example, the Eladrin language only evolved into Adren after the gnomes left the plane of Thelanis. Many magicians learn their first few spells by speaking the verbal components in a blue language due to its strong connection with magic.   Green Original languages created by the first cultures of the material plane, like early humans and dwarves. These languages have no special power, but are of great interest for linguists.  

 

Starting Languages

  At the start of the game, your ancestry and background will grant you a number of languages. An ancestry or class that grants you a spefic language instead grants you one from the table below. A high Intelligence grants you additional languages during character creation, you can choose one rare 5th level or uncommon 3rd language, the remaining languages must be 1st level.  

PF2E Language	Eberron Language
Common	Karrnon
Draconic	Irhashen
Dwarven	Kordian
Elven	Phiran (or Aeren if you are from Aerenal)
Gnomish	Zilsh
Goblin	Daglen
Orcish	Elden

 

Translating Written Words

  You can use the Decipher Writing activity to translate a writing from one language to another. If you understand both the source and target language, it takes one minute per page. Knowing the one but not the other (e.g. knowing the target but not the source), it takes you 10 minutes per page but requires a glyph book and a Society check. The DC is determined by the GM based on the state or complexity of the document as well as the quality of your glyph book.   If the unknown language is the parent or child of a language you know, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the check. If you are a master in Society, the bonus is doubled.   Some languages do not have a written form, which prevents you from writing them unless you have the Phonetic Training feat.  

Translation Magic

  The Comprehend Language spell has an additional restriction:  

The language must be either a a common language or a rare blue language (one created by or native to a plane).   Heightened (5th) The language can be uncommon and the target can speak it.   Heightened (7th) The language can be rare and the target can speak it.   Heightened (9th) The language can be any organized language and the target can speak it.  

  The Tongues spell has an additional restriction:  

The language must be either a a common language or a rare blue language (one created by or native to a plane).   Heightened (6th) The language can be uncommon.   Heightened (7th) The language can be rare and the duration is 8 hours.  

 

 

 

List of Languages

 

   

Karrnon

Language 1

common   Parent Language Zilsh, Old Galifar   Script Adren   Frequently Used By denizens of Khorvaire   The common tongue of the modern five nations, named after Karrn the Conqueror. The language was developed by House Sivis under contract with the Kingdom of Galifar as part of the King's economic development plan in 5 YK. House Sivis used the regional languages from the ancient Five Nations -- Thalian, Wroash, Metrian, Korthan, and Dakarn, which are collectively know as Old Galifar -- to form Karrnon. House Sivis also took it upon themselves to add grace and consistency, so they incorporated many of the rules from Zilsh. The contract also required House Sivis to provide, free of charge, a number of phonic books to all settlements in the kingdom every 10 years. In the first year of the Last War, this contract was broken since none of the Five Nations chose to up-hold it. While House Sivis still maintains ownership of the language, a fact they do not let many forget, they no longer provide learning material to any of the nations for free.    

Daglen

Language 1

common   Parent Language Volaar   Script Daglen   Frequently Used By citizens of Darguun, modern goblinoids   The modern language of goblins. While not having any strong ties to a single language other than Volaar, Daglen has adopted components from those used by the cultures that arose after the fall of the Dhakaani empire.    

Elden

Language 1

common   Parent Language Vvark   Script Siberian   Frequently Used By citizens of Elden Reaches and Shadow Marches, modern orcs   Elden adopted components from the other cultures that appeared on Khorvaire. But it only has a familiar root in Vvark, with most of its magical terminology unchanged.    

Irhashen

Language 1

common   Parent Language Siberian   Script Siberian   Frequently Used By kobolds, lizardfolk, and dragonborn of Khorvaire   The language used by the dragoniod people on Khorvaire. It is based on Siberian, but the dragons have no record of teaching it to any creatures on the contient.    

Khoravar

Language 1

common   Parent Language Phiran, Karrnon   Script Adren   Frequently Used By khoravar (half-elves)   A creole language from Phiran and Karrnon which was created by the Khoravar half-elves. Being a new language with no nation to call home, it has no formal recognition from the five nations.    

Kordian

Language 1

common   Parent Language Frosh   Script Kordian   Frequently Used By citizens of Mror Holds, modern dwarves   The language of the dwarves of the Mror Hold. Scholars believe Kordian is a child language of Frosh, evolved after the centuries of isolation from the original language. But the dwarves deny this fact, stating their language has been passed down flawlessly since the first dwarf.    

Phiran

Language 1

common   Parent Language Old Galifar, Aeren   Script Reidran   Frequently Used By elves on Khorvaire   After House Phiarlan escaped Aerenal, the Aeren language was allowed to change. This lead to the long lived elves communicating with the humans, and translating their old stories into Old Galifar. In less than a generation, the newly arrived elves had created their own language from the pieces of those they feared and their new human allies. The largest change was to their script, adopting Reidran, which was used by Old Galifar. Historians have named this modern Aereni language, Phiran, after House Phiarlan, but most elves still think of it as Aeren.    

Zilsh

Language 1

common   Parent Language Adren   Script Adren   Frequently Used By citizens of Zilargo, modern gnomes   The language formed by a young House Sivis, Zilsh helped to unify the gnomes into the nation of Zilargo. Zilsh used the script of Adren, but its form was more functional for the magic that came with the Mark of Scribing. As House Sivis grew its bureaucracy, the language lost its informal articles and conjugations and became more strict with its grammar.    

Adren

Language 3

uncommon   Parent Language Eladrin   Script Adren   Frequently Used By ancient gnomes, Zilargo academics   Arden is a descendant language of Eladrin, formed by the first gnomes to migrate to Khorvaire. It is written in its own script, which is used by Zilsh and Karrnon. The leading linguistic theory is that since the migrated gnomes no longer lived in feyspires, they were no longer connected to Thelanis and its blue language. Shortly after the gnomes of the Sivis clan began manifesting the Mark of Scribing, they evolved the language into what is now known as a Zilsh, incorporating the linguistic magic from the mark.    

Aeren

Language 3

uncommon   Parent Language Brakia, Eladrin   Script Aeren   Frequently Used By citizens of Aerenal, elves from Aerenal   Aeren is the hybrid language of Brakia and Eladrin, which uses its own script. It formed when the giants enslaved the Eladrin of the feyspire known as Shae Tirias Tolai. These Eladrin became the first elves and, like the gnomes that migrated to the material plane, developed their own language. Most of the language comes from Eladrin, but the enslavement by the giants did change it over time.    

Old Galifar

Language 3

uncommon   Parent Language Riedran   Script Riedran   Frequently Used By pre-Galifar humans on Khorvaire   Old Galifar is a nickname for the five regional dialects found in pre-Galifar nation-states: Thalian, Wroash, Metrian, Korthan, and Dakarn. While these dialects did not diverge from each other much in the thousand years before Karrnon was made the official language of the Five Nations, they all separated greatly from the original Riedran. The pilgrimage through Lhazaar and finally settling in Khoarvaire changed the language enough that Old Galifar cannot be understood by a Riedran speaker.    

Sarlen

Language 3

uncommon   Parent Language Quor, Riedran   Script Reidran   Frequently Used By modern humans of Sarlona   Sarlen is the official language of Sarlona.   Special If you know Quor, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all verbal interactions with and the DC of spells with the mental trait against speakers of Sarlen that do not know Quor. The language has been developed to increase the persuasive effects of the Inspired over their subjects.    

Brakia

Language 5

rare   Parent Language Siberian, Old Brakia   Script Brakia   Frequently Used By modern giants   Brakia is the hybrid language of Old Brakia and Siberian, which uses the Brakia script. The hybrid formed when dragons made contact with the giants some 60,000 years ago and taught them magic.    

Eladrin

Language 5

rareblue   Parent Language None   Script Eberric   Frequently Used By fey of Thelanis   Eladrin is a blue language written in Eberric script. Unlike most blue languages, House Sivis already had excellent translations for Eladrin for the Planar Communication Project since Zilsh is a grandchild to it.    

Fah

Language 5

rareblue   Parent Language None   Script Eberric   Frequently Used By devils and demons   Fah is a blue language written in Eberric script. The language was first translated by Mercantin d'Sivis as part of his Planar Communication Project. He learned the language by summoning various demons and devils from Shavarath.    

Siberian

Language 5

rareblue   Parent Language None   Script Siberian   Frequently Used By citizens of Argonnessen, dragons   Siberian is a blue language written in Siberian script. The translation of Siberian to other languages was originally managed by the dragons, but in the modern age they have little contact with Khorvaire. As a result, most translations found today come Mercantin d'Sivis's communication with the kobolds and dragonborns on Khorvaire.    

Supernal

Language 5

rareblue   Parent Language None   Script Eberric   Frequently Used By celestials   Supernal is a blue language written in Eberric script. The language was first translated by Mercantin d'Sivis as part of his Planar Communication Project. Mercantin learned the language by summoning various archons from Shavarath.    

Kythric

Language 10

rareblue   Parent Language None   Script Eberric   Frequently Used By elementals   Kythric is a blue language written in Eberric script. The language is a key piece in the gnomes mastery of elemental binding. It is unknown when or where the gnomes learned Kythric, and Zilargo is reluctant to allow any outsider to learn it. Only those who receive special permission from the Triumvirate are allowed access to the tutors and secret libraries that hold the Kythric language.    

Nessen

Language 10

raregreen   Parent Language None   Script None   Frequently Used By isolated orcs of the Shadow Marches, ancient orcs   Nessen is a green spoken language used by orcs. In the modern era, it is only used by small, isolated tribes in the Shadow Marches. Many of the terms and names from Nessen are used in Vvark, where a written script was established.    

Riedran

Language 10

raregreen   Parent Language None   Script Riedran   Frequently Used By ancient humans from Sarlona   Riedran is a green language used by the early humans of Sarlona. It is the parent language of Old Galifar, since those humans migrated to Khorvaire before the Inspired took hold in Sarlona.    

Frosh

Language 15

uniquegreen   Parent Language None   Script Frosh   Frequently Used By ancient dwarves   Frosh is a green language used by the early dwarves. Its translation is incomplete since Mercantin d'Sivis disappeared shortly after finding his initial writting samples.    

Old Brakia

Language 15

uniquegreen   Parent Language None   Script Brakia   Frequently Used By ancient giants   Old Brakia is a green language used by the giants of Xen'drik before learning magic from the dragons.    

Volaar

Language 15

uniquegreen   Parent Language None   Script Volaar   Frequently Used By goblinoids of the ancient Dhakaani empire   Volaar is a green language used by early goblins and the Dhakaani empire. Studying it has proven difficult for mondern linguists since the written form in only found in Dhakaani ruins.    

Vvark

Language 15

unique   Parent Language Siberian, Nessen   Script Siberian   Frequently Used By druids   Vvaark is the hybrid language of Nessen and Siberian, which uses the Siberian script. The original druids, taught by the rogue dragon Vvaraak, formed the language as part of their understanding of the natural forces.    

Deep Speech

Language 20

uniqueblue   Parent Language None   Script Unknown (Volaar)   Frequently Used By Daelkyr   Deep Speech is a spoken blue language used by the Daelkyr. All of its translations are in Volaar, found in ancient Dhakaan writings. As a result, the academic script used for Deep Speech is Volaar, but it is understood that is not what the Daelkyr used. Additionally, the spoken form has never been heard.    

Quor

Language 20

uniqueblue   Parent Language None   Script None   Frequently Used By kalashtar and inspired   Quor is a blue language with no known written or verbal components, instead it can only be used for telepathic communication. Coming from the natives of the plane of Dal Quor, Quor can only be "spoken" by Quori and the entities they have merged with, known as the Inspired and Kalashtar. Quor is significant in that it is the most efficient language, capable of sharing novels worth of information in a matter of seconds.   Special While on the astral plane, any verbal trait can replace the emotional trait, which allows you to cast without speaking.  

Emotional An emotional component is a clear focus on mental constructs or emotional states. You must hold them clearly in your head, so you must not be subject to an effect with the emotion trait. The spell gains the concentrate trait.