Dark Speech

There exists a language so dire, so full of spite, malice, corruption, and hatred that it is simply called the Dark Speech. It is the secret tongue of evil gods, forbidden in almost every civilized culture. It is not a language of poetry or diplomacy. It is a language of commands, curses, and destruction.   Even demons and devils fear to speak it. It is said that the first to use the Dark Speech were not mortals, not even gods, but something older. Beings of absolute evil that carved reality with words. That same power lingers in the language today. Each syllable carries weight. Each phrase can shape or destroy. To speak it is to wield that power and risk being consumed by it.   Few mortals ever hear the Dark Speech. Fewer still speak it. Those who do must first take the Dark Speech feat. No one can learn even a single word without it. Mortal tongues were not made to speak it. The sounds are harsh and unnatural. They twist the mouth and lungs. Pronouncing them correctly can cause pain, bleeding, or worse. Mispronouncing them can be deadly.   The safest way to use the Dark Speech is through specific spells. The spell dread word is the most well known. It allows the caster to speak a single word of the Dark Speech as part of a magical effect. Even then it is dangerous. The spell channels the power and protects the speaker from immediate harm but repeated use can draw attention from things that should not be aware.   The language has no words for kindness, mercy, love, or hope. These concepts have no place in its structure. It cannot express compassion or beauty. But it speaks of betrayal with precision. It describes torment and hatred in perfect clarity. The Dark Speech does not name things. It defines them. It binds their essence in sound.   It has no written form. Attempts to write it down fail. The words lose meaning. Power vanishes. In some cases the scribe goes mad or dies before finishing. Cults and heretics sometimes create symbolic marks or corrupted glyphs to represent it but these are not the language itself. They are dangerous approximations at best.   Some evil outsiders are born knowing parts of the Dark Speech. It is not taught to them. It is part of what they are. Their presence can bend the world. Their voices can cause madness or fear. Mortals who hear the Dark Speech from one of these beings may suffer permanent mental damage. Some become warped or marked. Others lose memories or sense of self.   To communicate using the Dark Speech requires both speaker and listener to know it well. The act is dangerous. If either lacks focus or fails to contain the meaning the words can lash out. Speaking a sentence in Dark Speech can cause injuries or mental trauma to both parties. It is not a language for conversation. It is a weapon made of sound and meaning.   There are four known ways to use the Dark Speech besides direct speech. These methods will be detailed separately.