The Demesnes - Languages

Human Languages

• Suloise - The ancient Suloise Empire established a single uniform language across all its territories. It all but died out with the fall of the Empire, and there are no native Suloise speakers today. The language is still considered a major language though, since it is often learnt by scholars and sages for the study of ancient manuscripts. It is considered the most magical of all the human languages, and many spell scrolls and spell books are still written in it. It is not commonly spoken, but sometimes serves as a de facto trade language when scholars of different native lands meet. Wizards may also instruct their apprentices in Suloise.
• Oeridian - This is actually a descendant of the language now called Old Oeridian, with several borrowed words from Suloise and ancient Flan languages. It is the established language of the central Demesnes regions and the closest thing to a common trade language across the continent. Oeridian is the mother tongue of a third or more of the people in The Demesnes, and understood by a great many more.
• Baklunish - The most commonly spoken language of the Baklunish peoples, this is the native language of most people from the sultanates of Zeif, Ekbir, Tusmit, Ket and surrounding regions. It is also spoken by enclaves of people who follow the Baklunish religions across the northern Demesnes - indeed some Baklunish religions require worship and prayer to be in the Baklunish language.
• Paynim - Another Baklunish language, this is spoken by the semi-nomadic tribes of the Paynim Plains. Many Paynims will also understand various amounts of Baklunish, but the further south one heads the more likely only Paynim will be used. The remote Uli people also use Paynim, almost exclusively.
• Aerdan - This is the major descendant of a Flan language in wide use today. It is spoken across most of the eastern Demesnes, in regions populated by the migrating Flan people, particularly the Great Kingdom and surrounding regions. At least a quarter of the population of the Demesnes call Aerdan their mother tongue. There are three major dialects: Standard, Northern, and Southern. Southern Aerdan differs from Standard mainly in pronunciation, and mutual comprehension is not too difficult. Northern Aerdan uses many borrowed words from The Cold Tongue and some strange inflections which make it almost a different language.
• The Cold Tongue - The language now spoken by the barbarian kingdoms of the far north-eastern Demesnes. It is a descendant of an old Flan language particular to the tribes who originally inhabited this area, and is incomprehensible to speakers of most other Flan tongues, the exception being a few common words with Northern Aerdan. It also uses some borrowed words from the common dwarven langauge Dängmir.
• Flan - The descendant of the particular Flan language chosen by the united Flanae Kingdom as a common language of the Flan people. It never really caught on, but the modern version is still spoken in some parts of the central Flan areas of Nyrond and The Pale.
• Ranapo - Another Flan language, this time spoken by the nomadic descendants of Flan populations in the northern and north-western Demesnes, such as the Tiger Nomads, Wolf Nomads, and the Rovers of the Barrens. This is quite a widespread tongue, and most Ranapo speakers will not speak anything else.
• Perren - A Flan tongue with a partial admixture of Baklunish, spoken only within Perrenland. It is partially comprehensible to Baklunish speakers, but bears no resemblance to any other Flan language. It is the official court language of Perrenland, so spoken widely within the country, but almost unheard of outside. Many Perrenlanders also speak standard Baklunish.
• Velondi - A close relative of Old Oeridian, this language sounds archaic but almost understandable to modern Oeridian speakers. It is kept alive in rural backwaters of Veluna and parts of Furyondy near the border. Although not widespread, it is encountered fairly frequently because of the busy trade routes and adventuring opportunities in the area.
• Celenic - This is basically a strong dialect of Oeridian, spoken in the northern parts of Celene. It uses a lot of words and idioms borrowed from the elven language Cerebor, making it difficult for both Oeridian and Cerebor speakers to understand. Anyone who speaks both Oeridian and Cerebor will understand almost all of what is said, but will have serious trouble constructing comprehensible sentences in Celenic.
• Keolandish - This is the closest langage to a modern descendant of Suloise, but uses many Old Oeridian words and syntactic elements. This, and natural drift over the millennia have rendered it unintelligible to Suloise or Oeridian speakers. It is spoken in some areas of Keoland and the surrounding countries to the south, mostly by direct descendants of the Suloise refugees of the Rain of Colourless Fire. Well-travelled Keolandish speakers will also speak Oeridian, but rustic stay-at-homes probably won't.
• Lendorian - An obscure Flan dialect mixed with some southern native tongues from the jungles of Hepmonaland, this is spoken across the Spindrift Isles. It is utterly incomprehensible to mainlanders.

• Old Oeridian - This was the most widespread language spoken by the Oeridian people before the Suloise Empire began encroaching into their territory. It is usually only encountered in written form, which uses a different writing system to modern Oeridian. If pronounced out loud, however, a modern Oeridian speaker can discern some meaning from the language. Some long-lost magical scrolls and ancient spell books are written in Old Oeridian.
• Middle Oeridian - This is essentially Old Oeridian adapted to the Suloise alphabet in common use today. As such, it can be read by Oeridian speakers and understood with difficulty. A full understanding requires study of Old Oeridian words and grammar however. Being a younger language than Old Oeridian, scrolls and spell books written in it are somewhat more common, but potential users must beware because the Middle Oeridian pronunciations are different to those of modern Oeridian - and mistakes can lead to misunderstandings or disasters.
• Old Baklunish - Baklunish has remained a remarkably stable language for a long time. The language known as Old Baklunish is not a direct ancestor of modern Baklunish but rather an old dialect which has since died out. It is known only to relatively few scholars and texts written in it are rare.

Human Writing Systems

• Suloise Alphabet - The alphabet of the Suloise Empire. This was imposed on the Oeridian people during the Suloise expansions and eventually adopted as the alphabet of Middle Oeridian. It is used widely today for the modern Oeridian language, as well as several other small languages (including Velondi, Celenic, and Keolandish).
• Aerdan Alphabet - This alphabet shares most characters with the Suloise Alphabet, but uses different symbols for some letters and a few extra runic symbols. It is the alphabet of all dialects of Aerdan. Readers of the Suloise or Aerdan alphabets can sound out about 75% of words written in the other alphabet - though the meanings will remain opaque. This can lead to some dangerous mishaps with spell scrolls and books.
• Baklunish Script - Baklunish is written in a flowing script with each word represented by a line shaped to indicate consonants and marked with diacriticals to indicate vowel sounds. The form of the script has not changed significantly since ancient times. Paynim is written in a slightly modified version, but Paynim is not written much. Perren can also be written in Baklunish Script, but is more commonly written in Suloise characters. Baklunish speakers have a greater tendency to be literate then speakers of other human languages.
• Old Oeridian Syllabary - This was the original written form of the Oeridian language. It used cuneiform-like marks to indicate syllables. It is not used today.
• Old Flan Pictograms - The ancient Flan languages were not written as such, but a pictographic system was used to convey basic meanings in many of the Flan tribes. These were often representational and so easy to decipher.
• Flan Ideograms - The modern Flan language has developed a complicated system of ideograms from the original pictograms. This is a difficult written language to master and not used much. Most literate Flan speakers now use the Suloise alphabet to write out the sounds of their words.
• Cold Runes - The runic writing system of the Cold Tongue. Some runes represent consonants, others entire syllables - there are no individual vowel runes. The runes are clearly derived from dwarven runes. The system is in use in the Cold Tongue lands, though hardly anyone there is literate.
• Ranapo Script - This resembles a more angular version of Baklunish Script. It incorporates some individual syllable marks, while other syllables are built up from consonants and vowel diacriticals. It is used only for the Ranapo language.
• Lendorian Alphabet - The organic-looking blobs which make up this alphabet are illegible to people not trained to read them. The alphabet is used exclusively for Lendorian. For proper shape, Lendorian must be written with a thick brush, not a sharp quill.

Elven Languages

• Cerebor - What began as a local elven language in the Celadon Forest has spread to become the common shared language of the elves across most of the continent. It may not be his first language, but any elf met will almost certainly speak Cerebor. Cerebor is commonly known simply as "Elven" among humans.
• Udorebor - A local language of the elves of the Udoru Forest. It has borrowed a few words from Baklunish, mainly words to describe desert and barren geographical features and concepts such as aging and murder.
• Rieuebor - Another local language, this time of the Rieuwoods area. It developed in isolation and is like no other elven language. Elves of the Rieuwood and Menowood are those most likely not to speak Cerebor.
• Derrumbor - The language of the dark elves. This is shunned by other elves for the most part, but some scholars research it in an academic way. It was originally a local elven language, the parent version of which was deliberately forgotten after the War of Separation.

Elven Writing Systems

• Cerembwar - Almost all elves use this graceful alphabet to write their languages. Non-magical texts composed by elves are usually written in this. Non-elves who wish to read and write Cerebor are taught this alphabet. It is a stunningly beautiful script with delicately rounded characters and subtle artistic effects.
• Ollembwar - This script is also used to write Cerebor, but almost always for magical purposes. It will usually only be known to elven wizards. Elves will not teach it to non-elves. Although Ollembwar represents the same words as can be written in Cerembwar, the structure of the shapes is so ingenious that no meaning at all will be apparent to someone who only knows Cerembwar.
• Rieubwar - The unique method of writing used by Rieuebor speakers. This more closely resembles the Lendorian alphabet than any other elven script, and some sages speculate on a connection between the two since they are also in the same general geographic region.
• Derrumbwar - The dark elf script is descended from Cerembwar. It is basically a pared-down version with some angular lines and omissions for speed of writing. Other elves find it clumsy and ugly. It is legible to a reader of Cerembwar, but no elf would ever admit to it, and the meanings are opaque unless the Derrumbor language is known.

Dwarven Languages

• Dängmir - The common dwarven language. Any dwarf met by a non-dwarf will certainly speak Dängmir. The language unites the dwarves as a race and they take great pride in it and the literature which has developed in it. To many humans, the language is just called "Dwarven".
• Þorkellen - This local language is used by dwarves in the Griff and Corusk Mountains regions.
• Krengtað - A local language of the dwarves of the Yatil Mountains. Unusually for a dwarven language, it uses some borrowed words from a human langauge - Baklunish.
• Joten - Used by the dwarves of the Jotens.

Dwarven Writing Systems

• Füneth - A set of rune characters used for all the dwarven languages, although languages other than Dängmir are seldom written. Dwarven runes are easily recognised as such by anyone with a passing familiarity with them.

Other Demi-Human Languages

Gnomes

Halflings

Humanoid Languages

Lizard Men

Orcs

The orcs living in the hostile environment of the north-eastern Demesnes (in the barbarian lands beyond the Griff Mountains and the Rakers) do not share the Orcish vocabulary. They have a more uniform language called Gra'nakk. On the odd occasion this is written, it uses the Cold Runes borrowed from the humans.