The Ancient Language

The Thammundraian language, primarily spoken during the Fire Age, was central to the culture and governance of the kingdoms that emerged in the aftermath of the Great Split of Valthor. It was used by those with a deep spiritual connection to dragons, royalty, and the divine forces.   1. Azrath’shar (The Dragon Kingdoms)   • Location: Mountainous and highland regions, where dragons nest and bond with their riders. • Description: The language of Thammundraian would have been most prevalent in areas that held sacred dragon nests, where the royal families and dragon riders resided. These regions, known for their spiritual significance, were central to dragon bonding ceremonies. The Dragon’s Nest (Azrath’shar) was the cultural heart where the first dragons hatched, and the language served as a bridge between the dragons and their riders. • Key Areas: High mountains, volcanic islands, and ziggurats that served as sacred grounds.   2. Rhul’shin (The Kingdoms of the Kings)   • Location: Central plains, where the kingdom’s political and royal power was solidified. • Description: The language was formalized in governance, primarily spoken by the royal family and nobility. The use of Thammundraian here symbolized the sacred bond between the monarchy and the dragons they controlled. Thammundraian was used during royal ceremonies, rites of passage, and in the courts for diplomatic discussions. • Key Areas: Capital cities, palaces, and governing regions where monarchs held authority.   3. Rhal’shin (The Sacred Kingdoms)   • Location: Areas known for religious significance and spiritual power. • Description: In the sacred realms, where the worship of dragons and the divine was of utmost importance, Thammundraian was used in religious rituals and prayers to the gods. Sacred temples and ziggurats, dedicated to the dragons and gods, held rituals where the language was crucial to the spiritual life of the people. • Key Areas: Temples, ziggurats, and holy places dedicated to dragon worship and divine rites.   4. Thalru’shar (Queen’s Realm)   • Location: Fertile river valleys and agricultural lands, extending from the royal palaces to the surrounding provinces. • Description: The language of Thammundraian was also spoken in the regions governed by the Queen, where royal lineage and divine connection to dragons were emphasized. These regions, crucial for food production and sustaining the kingdom’s wealth, adopted Thammundraian as a means of connecting to both the royal family and the divine. • Key Areas: Agricultural lands, royal estates, and marketplaces.   5. Faryshar’shar (The Warrior’s Territory)   • Location: Borderlands and military strongholds where dragon riders and warriors trained. • Description: Thammundraian was essential in military governance, where warriors trained and bonded with their dragons. It was the language of battle commands and military discipline, ensuring that the sacred bond between dragon riders and dragons remained unbroken in the face of war. • Key Areas: Fortresses, training grounds, and battlefronts where dragon riders were stationed.   6. Mor’dak Territories (Land of the Darklings)   • Location: Dark, secluded regions known for the presence of Darklings and corrupted forces. • Description: While the Darklings used a corrupted form of language, Thammundraian’s influence would still be found in the scriptures and writings of those who lived in opposition to the Stygian forces. The language was also used in rituals to contain or battle the darkness. • Key Areas: Isolated lands, dark caves, and forgotten temples.

The phonology of Thammundraian is designed to convey grandeur and spiritual reverence, with strong consonants and flowing vowels. The sounds are meant to evoke the celestial and divine, reflecting both the sacred nature of the language and its functional use in governance and warfare.   Consonants:   • Strong consonants are common, with a focus on crisp, clear sounds such as k, r, l, t, and z. These consonants reflect the power and authority of the language. • The ch sound (as in “loch”) may be used for deep, guttural tones, while the sh sound conveys softness, often reserved for spiritual terms.   Vowels:   • Long vowels like a, e, o, and u are commonly used, particularly in ceremonial or divine contexts. These vowels are intended to convey both grandeur and reverence. • Short vowels are used more in everyday speech and practical functions, and help to contrast the more formal and sacred usage.   Syllable Structure:   • Thammundraian typically uses combinations of open syllables (consonant-vowel, like “ka,” “ra,” “la”) and closed syllables (consonant-vowel-consonant, like “rak,” “tal”). • Syllables are generally simple but may be elongated in formal or sacred contexts.   Stress and Intonation:   • Stress is typically placed on the penultimate syllable of a word. • Intonation rises toward the end of a sentence, often used to indicate spiritual significance or commands.

Morphology of Thammundraian:   The morphology of Thammundraian involves the use of prefixes, suffixes, and root words to convey meaning. The language is agglutinative, meaning that new meanings and nuances are created by adding affixes to root words. This allows for the creation of complex and meaningful expressions, particularly in ritual contexts.   Word Roots:   • Root Words: Roots often come from spiritual or elemental concepts. For instance, Azrath (dragon) and Rhul (king) are central to the language’s identity. • Compound Words: Thammundraian makes heavy use of compound words, especially in ceremonial contexts. For example, Azrathka (dragon egg) is derived from Azrath (dragon) + ka (egg).   Affixes:   • Prefixes: Used to modify tense or indicate specific qualities, such as Seru- meaning “sacred ceremony” and Rhal- indicating “unity.” • Suffixes: Often indicate possession or union. For example, -sha is used to indicate possession, such as Akkal-sha (my soul).   Verb Conjugation:   • Thammundraian uses different suffixes and prefixes to indicate tense and mood. • Present tense: Root verb + appropriate tense marker (e.g., Val’krathak – “I bond now”) • Past tense: Root verb + -ar or -or (e.g., Val’krathar – “I have bonded”) • Future tense: Prefix Seru- or Nayr- for future action (e.g., Seru’krathal – “I will bond”)

Thammundraian generally follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, reflecting its formal, ceremonial nature. However, the sentence structure can shift to place more emphasis on certain parts of a sentence depending on context or ceremony.   Basic Sentence Structure (SOV):   • Example: “The kingdom is protected by the riders and their dragons.” • Rhul’shin rhul vakrath faryshar. (Literally: ‘Kingdom king riders dragon.’)   Emphasis and Variations:   • Emphasis on the Action: The verb may be repeated or isolated for focus, such as Val’krath-reth (I bond completely). • Emphasis on the Object: The object can be moved to the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, such as Azrath, klarith seru’nal (Dragon, soul bond sacred ceremony).

Pronouns   • I (First Person Singular) = Akkal (Root: Akk (soul) + al (self)) • You (Second Person Singular, informal) = Kesh • You (Second Person Singular, formal) = Ishra • He/She/It (Third Person Singular) = Farysh (Root: Far (being) + ysh (the essence)) • We (First Person Plural, inclusive) = Rhal • They (Third Person Plural) = Faryshar   Possessive Pronouns   • My = Akkal-sha • Your (informal) = Kesh-sha • Your (formal) = Ishra-sha • His/Her/Its = Farysh-sha • Our = Rhal-sha • Their = Faryshar-sha   Dragon-Rider Bonding Vocabulary   • Dragon = Azrath (Root: Az (sky, heaven) + rath (soul, spirit)) • Soul Bond = Klarith (Root: Klar (soul) + ith (union)) • Dragon Rider = Valkrath (Root: Val (rider, protector) + krath (bond)) • Dragon Egg = Azrathka (Root: Azrath (dragon) + ka (egg)) • Rite of Passage (Royal Ceremony) = Seru’nal (Root: Seru (passage) + nal (sacred ceremony)) • Nest of the Dragons = Azrath’shar (Root: Azrath (dragon) + shar (home, nest)) • Bonded Rider = Valkrathi (Root: Valkrath (dragon rider) + i (suffix for bonded))   Words Related to Royalty and Governance   • King = Rhul (Root: Rhu (ruler) + l (king)) • Queen = Thalru (Root: Thal (noble) + ru (essence, power)) • Prince/Princess = Sarhal (Root: Sar (noble) + hal (born)) • Kingdom = Rhul’shin (Root: Rhul (king) + shin (territory, land))   Words for Darklings and Stygian Creatures   • Darkling = Mor’drak (Root: Mor (dark) + drak (demon, evil)) • Stygian Creature = Zyroth (Root: Zyr (shadow, void) + oth (beast, creature)) • Nightmare (Created by Darklings) = Khal’dar (Root: Khal (night, darkness) + dar (dream))   Words for Past Life and Next Life at Death   • Past Life = Kalnara (Root: Kal (time, history) + nara (life, essence)) • Next Life (after death) = Nayrath (Root: Nay (future, beyond) + rath (life, soul))

The phonetics of Thammundraian focus on clear, powerful sounds that are easy to pronounce yet carry weight. The language’s sound system supports its ceremonial and authoritative tone.   Vowels:   • Long vowels such as a, e, i, o, and u are commonly used and help to evoke a sense of grandeur. For example, Azrath (dragon) uses a long a to create an open, strong sound.   Consonants:   • Thammundraian makes heavy use of consonants like r, l, and k, which are often used in words that convey power, such as Rhul (king) and Valkrath (dragon rider).

The Thammundraian verb system is straightforward but includes specific markers for tense and aspect that are vital in ceremonial language.   Present Tense:   • The present tense is indicated by simple verb conjugation with no additional affixes or prefixes. For example, Val’krath (I bond).   Past Tense:   • For the past, Thammundraian uses the suffix -ar or -or to mark completed actions. For example, Val’krathar (I have bonded).   Future Tense:   • The future tense uses prefixes such as Seru- (sacred future) or Nayr- (next life). For example, Seru’krathal (I will bond).

Thammundraian follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order for the most part, with variations based on the sentence’s focus. • Example 1: Farysh vakrath azrath’ka – “The dragon protects the rider.” • (Subject: Farysh - dragon, Object: vakrath - rider, Verb: azrath’ka - protects) • Example 2: Rhul’shin rhul vakrath faryshar – “The kingdom is protected by the riders and their dragons.” • (Subject: Rhul’shin - kingdom, Object: rhul - king, Verb: vakrath - riders, faryshar - dragons)

In Thammundraian, adjectives generally precede nouns, but the word order can vary for emphasis, particularly in ceremonial contexts. • Example: Azrath klarith – “Dragon soul bond.” • (Adjective: klarith - soul bond, Noun: Azrath - dragon)

Thammundraian uses specific markers to denote tense, possession, and honorifics. • Tense Markers: -ar (past), -al (future), -ak (present). • Possessive Marker: -sha (used to indicate possession, e.g., Akkal-sha - my soul). • Honorific Marker: -ith (used to show respect, especially toward elders or royalty, e.g., Ishra-ith - Your Majesty).