Common Duovaren (v0.2)

Writing System

The written script for Common Duovaren is intentionally simplified from its original gran'Duovaren form. Vowels are represented by vertical lines or vertical rectangles, while consonants are horizontal or diagonal lines/rectangles/parallelograms. Engraving, carving, and fine chiselwork usually uses the line forme, while ink printing, stamping, embossing, and painting usually use the block forme. (Line forme is always assumed to be made using a flat-edged tool like a chisel, and "fonts" take that into account.)   Characters are written together to build syllables or even word-glyphs. Numbers are pips, and punctuation is absolutely minimal or entirely absent. The most critical accuracy in written Duofar is where the vowel-shapes join to the consonant-shapes, as which consonant is which is usually determined by whether it joins at the top, middle, or bottom of the vertical vowel.   It may help new learners to visualize Duofar as written along four invisible lines (like train tracks or music staffs) per line of characters, or two blocks (where the four lines correspond to the tops and bottoms of each block). Vowels are only one block wide, while all consonants are at least two blocks wide, helping distinguish between similar vowel-consonant combinations when a horizontal line or block is 3+ spaces wide.   The biggest struggle in restoring damaged written pieces is when perspective is lost in where the consonant joins to the vowel.   Common Duovaren can be written left-to-right or right-to-left, so the character for u: is used as an orientation, since it consists of three lines (or two joined squares), creating a Z-like shape with its top farther left and its bottom farther right. While words almost always keep all their internal syllable-formes on the same line, Duovaren is known for its vertical use (written top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top with equal frequency) in architecture and larger-than-life artwork.   it
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