Linguistics
Trait Description: There are seven major languages spoken in Creation. The inhabitants of each quadrant of the Threshold speak a different language, and the mighty Realm has two official languages. There are also many dozen tribal tongues that are only spoken by small groups of barbarians. In addition, each nation of the Threshold speaks a slightly different dialect of its local language. Although speakers of different dialects can understand one another, speaking a different dialect instantly marks a character as a foreigner. Characters need Lore 1 to read and write all the languages they know.
The major languages in Creation are:
- High Realm: The language of the Dragon-Blooded nobles and their servitors and the language used for all official business in the Realm.
- Low Realm (Earthtongue): The speech of the Realm's commoners.
- Old Realm: The language of the Old Realm. This is the language of many oral and written spells, as well as the language of First Age tomes. Characters must have Lore 1 or greater to purchase this language. Old Realm is also the native tongue for spirits, demons and the Fair Folk.
- Riverspeak: The language of the Scavenger Lands. Also the common parlance of the Guild. Full of loan words, it is used by almost every trader and merchant in Creation.
- Skytongue: A language family spoken in the Threshold regions of the North.
- Flametongue: A language family spoken in the Threshold regions of the South.
- Seatongue: A language family spoken in the Threshold archipelagoes of the West.
- Forest-tongue: A language family spoken in the Threshold region of the East.
- Guild Cant: A secret language spoken only by members of the Guild. (Characters must have Backing [Guild] at 2 or higher to know this language.)
- Tribal Tongues (various): Languages spoken by groups of barbarians. For each dot of Linguistics purchased, a character may know four tribal tongues.
- Specialties: Individual Dialects: Haltan, Delzahn, Gethamanese, Haslanti
Trait Effects: Each character knows one language family as his native tongue, with an automatic specialty in the dialect spoken in his homeland. Each dot of Linguistics allows the character to understand one additional language family. Someone with Linguistics 1 knows one additional language family, someone with Linguistics 2 knows two additional language families, someone with Linguistics 3 knows three additional language families, someone with Linguistics 4 knows four additional language families, and someone with Linguistics 5 knows five additional language families.
Note: Unlike other Abilities, characters may buy an unlimited number of specialties for Linguistics. Each specialty is a different dialect and allows the character to sound like a native speaker of that dialect.
Charms
Note that increasing the static rating of Linguistics with the Linguistics Excellencies does not increase the number of languages a character knows.