Words of Power
The Frostborn of Nyrian speak a simple, easy-to-learn language. It consists of just under 20 highly simplified letters and completely avoids confusing grammar. Past, present, and future are pronounced the same way—only word order reveals the intended tense.
Examples: Present: I eat (today/now) cake.
Future: I (tomorrow/soon) eat cake.
Past: Cake I eat (yesterday) or Cake I (yesterday) (have) eat(en).
Certain words clearly indicate whether something is a question, a command, or a request. The structure is straightforward, the vocabulary limited. There are no cases or degrees of comparison. Facial expressions and gestures still play a significant role, adding expression, depth—and sometimes force—to what is said.
All the more remarkable, then, that there are expressions and entire sentences that defy this clear logic. They sound distantly related, yet foreign—fractured mirror images of the modern tongue. They come from a time when words were more than symbols: they carried culture, song, science, and magic.
For most, these ancient phrases are only understood metaphorically—their meaning passed down, not read. For only one group can still read them: the Rune Mages.
They master the language of the ancestors, because they must. For their magic. For where knowledge is cast into structure, there lies power. The grammar of this old tongue is highly complex, allowing for nuance, direction, and chaining—delicate and precise like an ice ritual whispered in silence. The development of new spells always goes hand in hand with the discovery of new grammatical turns or syllabic combinations.
This language has no letters, only syllabic signs—around 200 are still in use, though it is long suspected there were once many more. These syllables are combined into words that visually resemble nested, ornate runes. Depending on how such a “rune” is positioned—whether it bears small “feet,” curls, or jagged edges—its meaning changes. Even the stroke of the line—hard, soft, dancing or razor-sharp—can influence interpretation.
The way it is written gives it tone, direction—and in the right moment: power. For when magic resonates, runes speak more than words.
Examples: Present: I eat (today/now) cake.
Future: I (tomorrow/soon) eat cake.
Past: Cake I eat (yesterday) or Cake I (yesterday) (have) eat(en).
Certain words clearly indicate whether something is a question, a command, or a request. The structure is straightforward, the vocabulary limited. There are no cases or degrees of comparison. Facial expressions and gestures still play a significant role, adding expression, depth—and sometimes force—to what is said.
All the more remarkable, then, that there are expressions and entire sentences that defy this clear logic. They sound distantly related, yet foreign—fractured mirror images of the modern tongue. They come from a time when words were more than symbols: they carried culture, song, science, and magic.
For most, these ancient phrases are only understood metaphorically—their meaning passed down, not read. For only one group can still read them: the Rune Mages.
They master the language of the ancestors, because they must. For their magic. For where knowledge is cast into structure, there lies power. The grammar of this old tongue is highly complex, allowing for nuance, direction, and chaining—delicate and precise like an ice ritual whispered in silence. The development of new spells always goes hand in hand with the discovery of new grammatical turns or syllabic combinations.
This language has no letters, only syllabic signs—around 200 are still in use, though it is long suspected there were once many more. These syllables are combined into words that visually resemble nested, ornate runes. Depending on how such a “rune” is positioned—whether it bears small “feet,” curls, or jagged edges—its meaning changes. Even the stroke of the line—hard, soft, dancing or razor-sharp—can influence interpretation.
The way it is written gives it tone, direction—and in the right moment: power. For when magic resonates, runes speak more than words.
by Microsoft Copilot.
Created by Selibaque 2025
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