Languages

Feats

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Languages
How well one is able to communicate with another can play a very vital role in adventuring. In Novaria, characters are not automatically literate in every language they can speak. Languages are broken down into two parts; a "tongue" (the spoken language) and a "script" (the written language). Sometimes, one "script" can be used to record many tongues. Likewise, one "tongue" can be recorded in many different "scripts". For example: You can read this phrase because it is written in English using the Latin script, however ta seo i teanga Gaelige ach ta se in an scríbhinn Laidineach chomh maith. Uv mae not be able to read qis unless uv are familiar wiq Greek skript, even though it is written (as phonetically close as possible) in English.

For every skill rank put into Speak Tongue or Read Script, the character gains the ability to speak a new tongue or read a new script, respectively. Furthermore, characters who spend a month among speakers of a tongue they don't know (including their adventuring companions) may make an Intelligence check at DC 20 to learn that language through osmosis, though the character gains no new ranks in that skill.

Tongues
A tongue is a language that characters are capable of speaking in. To learn a tongue, a character must have access to a speaker of the language the character wishes to learn. These are the most common spoken languages used among the inhabitants of Novaria:

Latinian: the most widely spoken language in Novaria and the native language of Latinians. It uses the Nostrian script from which language it is descended.
     Nostrian: the parent language of Latinian. Used in some Reformed Olympianist documents.  Has a unique script.
Clasbron: the native language of the Clasbron. Uses the Nostrian script.
     Middle Danaan: the parent tongue of Clasbron and is used in some Clasbron religious documents. Uses the Ogham script.
     Low Danaan, High Danaan: languages sharing the same parent language as Middle Danaan. Used in some Clasbron religious documents. Uses the Ogham script.
          Danaan: Parent language of High, Middle and Low Danaan. Used in some Clasbron religious documents. Uses the Ogham script.
Elven: the language of the Elves. Erian, Sylvan and Grugach each have their own dialects, but are mutually intelligible. Has a unique script.
     Sidhe: Parent language of Danaan, Druidic and Elven. Uses a variation of Elven script.
Futhark: the native language of the Futhark and their Viking ancestors, though it has mostly been displaced by Latinian. In the same family as the Dwarven and Giant languages. Has a unique script.
Dwarven: the language of the Dwarves. In the same family as Futhark and the Giant languages. Has a unique script similar to Futhark.
Draconic: the tongue spoken by Dragons. Kobolds have their own dialect of Draconic that takes advantage of sounds particular to Kobolds. It uses the Draconic script.
Goblin: the language of Goblinoids such as Goblins, Hobgoblins and Bugbears, each of whom have their own dialect. Most Goblinoids use a system of symbols particular to their tribe when communicating in written form. A succesful Knowledge (Local) skill check for the particular area of which the tribe is from would be necessary to understand such a message. (DC is 5 less than a Decipher Script check of that complexity).
Halfling: the language of the Halflings. In Novaria and their own Hinlands, Halflings use the Nostrian script.
     Hinnic: Parent language of Halfling, spoken by the Halflings' Hin ancestors. Hinnic does not have a script of its own.
Hellenic: the official church language of Reformed Olympianism. Has a unique script.
Orcish: the language spoken by Orcs. It is sometimes used in Ondonti phraseology, but always with negative connotations. Orcish is commonly written using a variation of Dwarvish script and can be read by anyone with knowledge of such.
Rosarian: an ancient language descended from the Celestial tongue used in Rosarian religious texts. Uses the Celestial script.

Other Tongues:
     Abyssal - the language of Demons and other denizens of the Abyss. Has a unique script.
     Aquan - the language of creatures of Elemental Water. Uses a variation of Elven script.
     Auran - the language of creatures of Elemental Air. Uses a variation of Draconic script.
     Celestial - the language of Angels and other citizens of the Upper Planes. Thought by many to be the mother of all languages. Has a unique script.
     Giant - the tongue spoken by Giants of all types. Uses a variation of Dwarven script.
     Infernal - the language of Devils spoken by the overlords of Hell and their subjects. Has a unique script.
     Ignan - the language of creatures of Elemental Fire. Uses Draconic script.
     Sylvan - the language used by multiple forest creatures. Uses Elven script.
     Terran - the language of creatures of Elemental Earth. Uses Dwarven script.

Foreign Tongues:
     Asterian - spoken by the people of Asteria. Has a unique script.
     Baduin - spoken by the people of Az-badu and Baduin nomads. Has a unique script. Has a unique script.
     Carpathian - spoken by people in Carpathia, a principality of the Gothland region of the Teutonic Empire. Uses Nostrian script.
     Khemetic - spoken by people living in the Khem River valley. Uses a unique system of Heiroglyphics.
     Lorencian - spoken by the people of Lorencia. Uses Nostrian script.
     Segovian - spoken by the people of Segovia. Uses Nostrian script.
     Teutonic - spoken by the people of the Teutonic Empire and the Helvetian Confederacy. Uses a variation of the Futhark script.

Scripts
A tongue is a language that characters are capable of speaking in. To learn a tongue, a character must have access to a speaker of the language the character wishes to learn. These are the most scripts used among the inhabitants of Novaria:
(make sure you have downloaded the most recent font pack)

Nostrian: Used in former provinces of the Nostrian Empire.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Hellenic: Used in religious documents of Olympic churches. Parent script of Nostrian.
A B G D E Z H Q I K L M N O P R S T U F X C Y W

Futhark: Used by speakers of the Futhark language. Shares a parent script with Dwarven.
fuTarkgwhnijepxstbemlNod

Ogham: Script used by Druids and in religious documents of Danaan deities.
blfsnhdtcqmgpzraouei

Dwarvish: Script used by Dwarves, Orcs and Giants.
(No sample yet)

Elvish Script used by Elves and other Forest folk.
(No sample yet)

Draconic Script used by Dragons and others of draconic/reptilian origin.
abgjdhwz
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Celestial: Script used by Outsiders of the Upper Planes.
abcdeghiklmnopqrstuyz