Pocket Guide to Phantasm
ToC
Lucas Jildor’s Pocket Guide to Phantasm (For the Hopelessly Curious)
I’ve watched empires rise, fall, and get back up for an encore. Through it all, two things never change: someone wants directions, and someone else wants to stab them. This little guide helps you avoid the second while asking the first. Pronounce your ʔs, don’t say “mercy,” and if in doubt: smile with fewer teeth. —Lucas Jildor
How to Use This Guide
- Examples appear as three lines: Phantasm → morpheme gloss → free translation.
- Use qu to mark yes/no questions. “Yes” = ma-q're; “No” = ne-ma-q're.
- Soften requests with the optative -oi.
- Taboos: avoid talking about light, hope, or mercy (use substitutes below).
Pronunciation Napkin Notes
- [b]Q[/b] = deep uvular stop [q]; [b]X[/b] = [x] as in “Bach”; [b]ʔ[/b] = glottal stop (write as apostrophe).
- Stress is penultimate unless the last syllable is closed (CVC).
- Between vowels at morpheme seams, shove in ʔ (it likes the attention).
Core Social Phrases
K'a r'ath-m ma-q're. I friend-ESS PRES-be “I am (as) a friend.”
n'ra-th r'hath-n ma-q're-oi. you-DAT fortune-NOM PRES-be-OPT “May fortune be to you.” (Thank you/Please)
K'a-r s'far ma-q're. I-GEN weakness PRES-be “(It is) my fault.” (Sorry/Excuse me)
n'ra k'a-l pe-sa-s'pher qu? you I-ACC PFV-PAST-find QU “Did you understand me?”
K'a n'ra-l ne-ma-s'pher. I you-ACC NEG-PRES-find “I don’t understand you.”
Introductions & Identity
K'a-r n'zath ma-q're [Name]. I-GEN myth PRES-be [Name] “My name is [Name].”
K'a [ti-q] ma-vroth. I PROX-LOC PRES-travel “I am here.”
K'a d'fran ma-q're. I lost PRES-be “I am lost.”
J'la n'ra-n ma-q're qu? who you-NOM PRES-be QU “Who are you?”
Yes, No, Maybe
ma-q're. PRES-be “Yes / It is.”
ne-ma-q're. NEG-PRES-be “No / It is not.”
ma-q're-du. PRES-be-DUB “Maybe / I’m not sure.”
Getting Around
J'zit d'bal-n ma-q're qu? where water-NOM PRES-be QU “Where is water?”
J'zit r'lyth-n ma-q're qu? where city-NOM PRES-be QU “Where is the city?”
z'vorn-q q're nglath-th d'ze ma-vroth. void-LOC in ravager-DAT to PRES-travel “I travel in the void, to the Ravager.”
K'a [ta-q] ma-vroth-oi. I DIST-LOC PRES-travel-OPT “I’d like to go there.”
Safety & Boundaries
K'a-l ne-ma-r'fath-l! I-ACC NEG-PRES-kill-IMP “Do not kill me!”
K'a-r k'gath ma-q're. I-GEN peace PRES-be “I come in peace.”
N'ra k'a-l ne-ma-s'pher-l. you I-ACC NEG-PRES-find-IMP “Do not interrogate me / Don’t press me.”
K'a p'hu n'ra-th ma-vroth-oi. I with you-DAT PRES-travel-OPT “Let me go with you.”
Trade & Needs
K'a-th t'gor-n ma-q're. I-DAT food-NOM PRES-be “I have food.”
K'a-th d'bal-n ne-ma-q're. I-DAT water-NOM NEG-PRES-be “I don’t have water.”
N'ra k'a-th g'lath ma-q're qu? you I-DAT addition PRES-be QU “Do you have more for me?” (More?/Extra?)
K'a n'ra-th t'gor-l ma-s'pher-oi. I you-DAT food-ACC PRES-find-OPT “I’d like to get (offer) you food.”
N'ra-th r'hath-n ma-q're-oi; k'a-th t'gor-n ma-q're. you-DAT fortune-NOM PRES-be-OPT I-DAT food-NOM PRES-be “May you have fortune; I have food.” (Haggling politeness pair)
Checking Comprehension
Sk'lo Phantasm-l n'ra ma-s'pher qu? language Phantasm-ACC you PRES-find QU “Do you understand Phantasm?”
Sk'lo Common-l n'ra ma-s'pher qu? language Common-ACC you PRES-find QU “Do you understand Common?”
K'a sk'lo Phantasm-l im-ma-s'pher. I language Phantasm-ACC IPFV-PRES-find “I’m learning Phantasm.”
Time & Plans
ma'qor k'a ma-vroth. now I PRES-travel “I’m leaving now.”
ga'qor k'a n'ra-th ma-vroth. tomorrow I you-DAT PRES-travel “Tomorrow I will come to you.”
sa'qor k'a z'vorn-l sa-p'gath. yesterday I void-ACC PAST-eat “Yesterday I ate (in) the void.”
Small Talk That Won’t Get You Eaten
K'a r'than-l ma-s'pher n'ra-r. I knowledge-ACC PRES-find you-GEN “I’m curious about you.”
N'ra r'garn ma-q're? you desire PRES-be QU “Do you want (it)?”
G'nath ma-q're g'nath-vor. darkness PRES-be darkness-COMP “It is very dark.”
Ritual & High Register (Use Carefully)
D'karn [Name], k'a l'yo-l pe-sa-s'pher. lord [Name] I truth-ACC PFV-PAST-find “Lord/Lady [Name], I have found the truth.”
z'vorn-q q're r'shar-l ma-p'gath. void-LOC in eternity-ACC PRES-eat “We feast upon eternity.” (Ceremonial boast)
r'than-n ma-q're-dor; k'a ne-ma-q're-rul. knowledge-NOM PRES-be-DIR I NEG-PRES-be-HRSY “Knowledge is (I saw it as for me, I am not (so they say).”
Numbers You’ll Actually Use
- v'ka = 1, d'ro = 2, t'li = 3, q'nu = 4, p'sa = 5, x'fe = 6
- “How many?” → point + raise brow ridges; or ask:
d'fik v'ka na d'ro na t'li? how one and two and three “How many (one/two/three)?”
Polite Dodges & Non-Answers (Lucas’s Favourites)
ne-ma-q're; k'a ma-s'pher-du. NEG-PRES-be I PRES-find-DUB “It isn’t so; I’m still figuring it out.”
ra k'a ga-vroth-zi. but I FUT-travel-COND “Perhaps later.”
n'ra-th r'hath-n ma-q're-oi; k'a ga-p'gath. you-DAT fortune-NOM PRES-be-OPT I FUT-eat “Fortune to you; I must go eat.” (Ends a chat nicely)
Cultural Tripwires (Read Before Speaking)
- Taboos: avoid L'var (light), S'phor (hope), M'zan (mercy). Replace with k'gath (peace), r'hath (fortune), or neutral statements.
- Evidentials matter: add [-dor] (I saw), [-rul] (they say), or [-fex] (I infer) to show source—lying about this is rude and dangerous.
- Point with the chin, not the claw. Claws by the face signal doubt or challenge.
Pocket Templates
[Place]-q q're [NP]-n ma-q're qu? place-LOC in NP-NOM PRES-be QU “Is there [NP] at/in [place]?”
[NP]-l ne-ma-[Verb]-l! NP-ACC NEG-PRES-Verb-IMP “Do not [Verb] the [NP]!”
[Recipient]-th [Theme]-n ma-q're-oi. recipient-DAT theme-NOM PRES-be-OPT “May [Theme] be to [Recipient].” (Blessing/thanks)
Emergency Card (Show, Don’t Shout)
K'a d'zath ma-q're; d'bal-l ma-s'pher-oi. I injured PRES-be water-ACC PRES-find-OPT “I am injured; I would like water.”
K'a r'ath-m ma-q're; k'a-l ne-ma-r'fath-l. I friend-ESS PRES-be I-ACC NEG-PRES-kill-IMP “I am a friend; do not kill me.”
K'a [ta-q] ma-vroth-oi; n'ra p'hu k'a-th. I DIST-LOC PRES-travel-OPT you with I-DAT “I wish to go there; please come with me.”
One Last Wink from Lucas
If your accent fails you, overpay with dried fruit and nod solemnly. Works in nine realms out of ten. In the tenth, run.
Small talk that won't get you eaten is definitely my favourite section. "It is very dark." XD
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