Languages
Latin – The primary everyday language throughout the Empire is Latin. Everyone born anywhere in the Empire learns it from childhood, and it is the language most speak at home or in business. It is technically required to speak it to be a full Citizen, though this has historically been enforced only sporadically. It uses the Latin alphabet.
Koine Greek – The second most common language is Koine Greek, which is something of an international language for trade and diplomacy. It’s written form is also used for nearly all religious texts, including the Catholic Bible. It is the closest thing to a “common tongue” in the world, and most people who have regular contact with foreigners, especially merchants, know at least a smattering of it. It uses the Greek alphabet.
Ionic Greek – There is a debased dialect of Koine Greek spoken (often in preference to Latin, especially at home) by the Ionian minority, who are considered, as a people, lazy, shiftless and dishonest, mostly unfairly. It is the equivalent of Ebonics to English, basically the same language, but with unique slang and idioms that make it nearly impossible for outsiders to understand. It has become something of a “thieves’ cant” among the criminal elements. When written, which is rare, it uses the Greek alphabet, but often has additional symbols as codes.
Germanic – Various Germanic dialects are common throughout the Empire, spread far and wide by centuries of barbarian mercenaries employed by the Empire. Most of the dialects are essentially the same language, with different accents. It is written with a runic alphabet.
Gaulish – The language of the native Actinans is Gaulish. It has been slowly dying from disuse for centuries, but many traditionalists, especially among the hereditary aristocracy, keep it alive. When written, it uses the Latin alphabet.
Brittonic – The language of Celtic Sassinians is increasingly common in Pumpossa, as trade increases with the former province. It is very similar to Gaulish, coming from the same roots, and a speaker of one can usually get the message across to a speaker of the other. It is commonly written using the Latin alphabet, but there is an ancient form of Ogham sometimes used for inscriptions on tombs and monuments, and perhaps for secret messages or magical texts. Ogham script is known only to a very few scholars and wizards who have spent time in Sassina.
Hebrew – The Jews, not surprisingly, speak Hebrew, especially among themselves. They are a very insular culture, and it is nearly impossible for outsiders to learn this language. Hebrew uses the Aramaic alphabet.
Aramaic – The educated, especially among the wizardly sorts, use Aramaic as a mystery language, to keep their secrets secret. Aramaic has its own alphabet.
Nearly any other real world equivalent can be found somewhere in the Empire, but none are common in Actina.
There are several non-human languages as well, such and Elfish, a musical language that only the most gifted (20+ Bardic Voice) can even begin to master, and Orcish, which humans can learn to understand fluently but are incapable of speaking beyond a very basic level.
| Language Family | Basic Spoken | Fluent Spoken | Natively Spoken | Fluent Written | Natively Written |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Tongue | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Elfish Tongue | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Dwarfish Tongue | 3 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Orcish Tongue | 2 | 3 | 5 | N/A | N/A |
| Feline Tongue | 4 | 7 | 9 | N/A | N/A |
| Canine Tongue | 4 | 7 | 9 | N/A | N/A |
| Hooven Tongue | 4 | 7 | 9 | N/A | N/A |
| Rodent Tongue | 4 | 7 | 9 | N/A | N/A |
| Avian Tongue | 6 | 9 | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| Saurian Tongue | 6 | 9 | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| Intelligence Saurian | 9 | 15 | 25 | 5 | 5 |
| Ancient Tongue | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Futhark (Used for many Germanic languages) |
N/A | N/A | N/A | 3 | 5 |
| Skill Level | Skill Roll | SR Required For | Language Point Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloddy | 20% | Numbers over 20 | 0 |
| Minimal | 40% | Number over 100 | 1 |
| Proficient | 55% | Numbers over 1,000 | +2 |
| Expert | 65% | Numbers over 1,000 | +3 |
| With Abacus | +30% | As required | +1 |
Costs are cumulative; Basic must be bought before Fluency. Written scripts are phonetic, and thus independent of spoken language, but are often useless if one does not know the associated spoken language.
Spoken Human languages can usually be picked up through exposure (by other humans); if you are around someone speaking a Germanic language, you'll tend to pick it up. More esoteric languages generally must be specifically taught by someone at least a fluent as they level they are teaching.
Written languages can only be learned by taught by someone literate in them.