Deep Speech

{hr] Deep Speech is the ancient and enigmatic language spoken by powerful aquatic and subterranean creatures such as aboleths, krakens, and other beings native to the deepest reaches of the world. It is not a language created for common use or casual conversation. It is a medium of authority, memory, and domination. Every word carries weight and consequence. It exists not only to convey information, but to assert presence and control in environments where survival depends on power and understanding.   The spoken form of Deep Speech is harsh, guttural, and unnatural to most surface dwellers. It includes distorted phonetics that challenge ordinary vocal anatomy. Some sounds are formed in the throat, others through manipulation of internal pressure, and some cannot be easily reproduced without specialized vocal structures. Words echo oddly in caverns and underwater passages, with reverberations that seem to extend beyond their acoustic origin. This effect is not incidental. Deep Speech was shaped by the environments in which its speakers dwell. It is a language of the depths, where sound carries differently and silence is rare.   The grammar of Deep Speech is strict and formal. It adheres to a rigid sentence structure, with subject and verb always preceding any object or modifying clause. There is no flexibility or poetic variation. Precision is expected at all times. The language uses a large set of verbal forms to describe different kinds of mental or physical influence. It includes specific constructions to mark commands, truths, memories, and inherited knowledge. Tense is limited. Much of Deep Speech is concerned with what is, not what was or what might be. There is no passive voice. Every sentence assigns direct responsibility.   The vocabulary of Deep Speech is deeply focused on control, territory, memory, and identity. Words for thought, intrusion, knowledge, and manipulation are highly developed. By contrast, terms for beauty, creativity, or comfort are nearly nonexistent. Each concept in Deep Speech tends to have a single accepted word. Synonyms are rare. Precision and repetition are more valued than variation or subtlety. Many words carry embedded implications based on their speaker. The context in which a word is spoken can change its meaning, especially when paired with telepathic impressions or magical presence.   There is a written form of Deep Speech, but it is neither common nor decorative. Its script consists of angular symbols etched into stone or coral. Each symbol represents a complete concept rather than a phonetic element. Some of these symbols are arranged in spirals or radial formations, suggesting a non-linear approach to communication. Most records are carved into the walls of lairs, caverns, or ruins rather than kept on scrolls or books. Writing in Deep Speech serves as a marker of territory, a warning, or a permanent record of truths declared by powerful beings.   Deep Speech is rarely learned by other creatures. It is not offered freely. Those who study it often do so out of necessity or compulsion. Learning the language involves more than memorization. It requires understanding a world built on domination, memory, and permanence. To speak Deep Speech is to echo the thoughts of entities that existed long before the surface world ever formed.