Languages of Tilendrel

"Did you catch that?"
"I think he said 'I surrender', sir."
"Then why, Robert, is he drawing his sword right now?"

Baron Dorian Grey and Count Robert Goldstein, nobles of Litheria and adventurers, encountering a disagreeable Orc

Tilendrel is a world with a long and storied history, and nowhere is this more noticeable than the various languages spoken across its nations. The following is a list of several major ones, both modern and archaic.  

International Languages

    Common   The lingua franca of the continent, Common was originally a human language but has spread via trade and conquest to become the most spoken language in the world. Due to its widespread usage, it has innumerable dialects and accents, as well as being part of several creoles and pidgin languages in the past and present. It is an official government language in Everflame, Hin-Sung, and the Eastern Elven Territories. In Litheria, it is considered a 'lesser' language, used primarily by the lower classes.   Elvish   A beautiful but complex language, with a mix of long compound nouns and verbs combined with short connnectives, Elvish is a language spoken primarily in Esidell and the Southern Elven Territories. It is often superseded by Common in business dealings, and as such primarily serves for internal communication within Elven communities. Due to its extensive vocabulary regarding the workings of magic, it is common for theses on the subject to be written in Elvish even by humans and other species.   Dwarvish   A gruff language featuring many hard consonants, Dwarvish has taken a pre-eminent place in western trade negotiations thanks to the presence of the two Dwarvish economic superpowers, Gildmire and the Ironheart Empire. it is also a major language among the dwarven population of Forge's Eye.   High Litherian   Spoken by the nobles and priesthood of Litheria, High Litherian is spoken by few outside of the country, and its complex rules regarding formality and position - whether intentionally or not - tend to put foreign diplomats at a disadvantage when conversing with a native speaker. Holy texts, unlike in other nations, are often written exclusively in High Litherian, making commoners reliant on the priesthood to interpret them.  

National Languages

  Gnomish   A technical, practical language easy to learn for most races, Gnomish is spoken primarily in Bentrelhold, alongside Common. The languages share many similarities, but are distant enough not to be considered dialects of the same language.   Halfling   A language with no nation, much like the 'people of no nation' who speak it, Halfling is a language spoken almost exclusively in small Halfling communities, and is at risk of dying out due to increased urbanisation. Halflings in major cities sometimes speak it in each other's presence, and the familiarity it brings leads many to come together even having been complete strangers.   Orcish   An unusual language with no writing system, Orcish is spoken in Krin'garr, and is borderline unpronounceable in its native form to non-Orcs. A simplified version, used by visitors to the nation and Half-Orcs in particular, has been created, and a writing system proposed based on Common script, but thus far has had little adoption among the xenophobic, tribal residents of Krin'garr.   Moradi   The native language of the people of Moradin Island, scholars have been unable to trace Moradi back to any other known dialect. The people of the island themselves say that it was brought to them by the gods, though have never been made to elaborate as to how or when, or which gods.    

Extinct Languages

  Old Litherian   While still used for some ceremonies and obscure religious rites, Old Litherian is effectively extinct, with none living speaking it as a first language. It would eventually evolve into High Litherian (mixing with Elvish) and Modern Common (mixing with Old Illumi). Speakers of High Litherian can understand some words, but a formal education in the language is needed to translate texts.   Old Illumi   The language of the Republic of Light and later the Baronies of Everflame, Old Illumi was the first known human language, and the language in which most original tellings of the Rise of the New Gods were written. Unlike Litheria, which has kept its ancient tongue for use in equally ancient ceremonies, Everflame has all but abandoned the language in favour of its descendant, Modern Common.   Darhemian   Darhemian was the language of the now-destroyed Darhemian Empire, and thanks to the 'Scorched Earth' policy of the Western Powers during the Darhemian War, no written examples of the language still exist. Spoken, it is said by former slaves of the Empire (who spoke Elvish, Moradi, and a dialect of Common) to have been soft and calm, with little expression of emotion in tone of voice.  

Other Languages

  Thieves' Cant   Based on Common, Thieves' Cant is a centuries-old code used by criminals, spies, and revolutionaries to hide secret information in innocuous conversation. Many highly trained law enforcers are fluent in the code, but due to the impossibility of listening to every conversation in a city, it is still extremely useful to avoid detection by passersby.   Druidic   A language spoken and written by druids, animated plants, and some Fey, Druidic has far-off shared roots with Old Illumi, and is known only to a few mortals - the members of druid circles, and their apprentices.