Let's go with a letter to Silvon Silas, I presume you'll get me from there to the rest of the group.
No worries.
Scotley said:
Sounds like an origin in the Maroon Knightholds makes the most sense. What language would he speak from there? I'll take Cliff speak as well. Will try to finish up today. I haven't been playing much 3.5 in recent years and so it is slow going.
DM's Note: I've underlined the languages that are most appropriate for your PC.
For languages, he's most likely to have been exposed to the following regional languages in addition to Cliffspeak: Novarese,
Rölian, Tarmin,
Ticin, and
Váryar.
Novarese is the primary language of the lands of Novarum, but isn't as common in the Bluffside Region as Ticin, which is spoken on both sides of the Red Mountains (or Montagne Rosse in Noverese) but originates in the Imperial Lands of Ticinum. While Ticin is equivalent to Latin, Noverese is equivalent to Italian.
Rölian and Váryar are languages from the lands just to the east of the Red Mountains. Rölian is spoken by the peoples of the Rölheim Mountains and doesn't really have a real world equivalent. Váryar is the regional language of the Kingdom of Várad, and is also spoken in the land surrounding that kingdom. Think of Váryar as a
Uralic language equivalent to Hungarian (which is called
Magyar in Hungarian).
Tarmin is the regional language of the Kingdom of Tarminan. Its origins would be a mixture of Novarese and some of the high language known as Tal (the aristocrat
only language of Talangrán). Tal is equivalent to Spanish when it was known as Castile, although in this campaign world the language is influenced by Infernal.
Tal is rarely spoken by anyone outside of Talangrán.
Tarmin is different enough to be considered its own language. However, the aristocrats of Talangrán
do not like it being spoken in their presence.
Other regional language options (w/real world equivalents):
Aegean (Greek), Almad (Basque), Coeurdis (French), Ealdurian (Old English), Falian (German/Frisian), Hjemsk (Old Norse), Kotimen (Finnish), Sprache (German/Saxon), and Torassian (Russian).
For racial language options, these are the most common in the Bluffside region: Draconic, Dragori,
Dwarven/Dwarvish,
Elven/Elvish, Feline (cat races),
Giant, Gnome,
Gnome (Steam-dialect),
Goblin, Halfling, High Speech (gray and high elves), Kitt (a small homebrewed cat race), Merfolk,
Orc, Rakasta,
Sixam, and Varahnish.
Dragori, Sixam, Steam Gnome, and Varahnish are languages of new races published in the Bluffside sourcebook. The Dragori are an important reptilian people with dragon ancestry; the race has an empire in the region known as the Dragon Sands. The Sixam Ieuna are a winged race known throughout The Northwest (and some parts beyond). Steam gnomes live underground primarily beneath Bluffside, as well as both the Red Mountains and the Sundered Mountains. Varahnish is the racial language of an aquatic race called the Sel’varahn with strong ties to Bluffside. They are a common race of the Sea of Ishamark.
Other important world languages for Kanpur include the following: Abyssal, Anarchic, Aquan,
Auran, Axiomatic, Celestial, Deepingspeak, Druidic, Ignan, Infernal, Sidhe, Sign Language,
Sylvan,
Terran, and Undercommon.
Deepingspeak and Sidhe are the rarest of these languages. Deepingspeak is spoken by aboleths, duergar dwarves, and morlocks (evil trog-gnomes). It is rarely spoken on the surface world, but is known in the western lands of Kanpur (due to past conflicts/invasions). Sidhe is spoken by the sidhe (fey elves), satyrs, and other denizens of the Faerie plane. It is commonly spoken by the high elves of Ravensilath in the Coldwind Forest.