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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Morrus" data-source="post: 6161622" data-attributes="member: 1">Creatures who reach our modern world through Shadow gain an innate  knowledge of English, Spanish, Russian, or whatever the predominant  language happens to be in the area in which they arrive. To them, the  language resembles Common, a language that was used in trade or other  negotiations between different species in the world of their birth.  Whether this is mere coincidence or part of some great design remains a  mystery. “Languages of Shadow” are languages brought to our world by creatures  of Shadow. Like Earth languages, these languages can be grouped  together in families. Languages that belong to a single family share the  same root alphabet. However, knowing one language in a family doesn’t  enable characters with the Smart hero’s linguist talent to automatically  speak, write, and understand the other languages in that family. Natives of our world—human and Shadowkind alike—can learn new Shadow  languages only after they are exposed to them; they can’t master them  spontaneously. To learn Draconic, for example, a character must spend  time with creatures that speak Draconic or find someone with access to  the written language (Draconic “books on tape” or ancient texts written  using the Draconic alphabet, for example). Certain Shadowkind know  languages commonly spoken among members of their species, and all  characters may study and learn new Shadow languages, investing in the  appropriate Read/Write Language and Speak Language skills as they  advance in level. Table: Shadow Languages by Family lists various languages of Shadow  and their root alphabets. Shadow language families include the  following: Celestial: Elegant in its simplicity and purity, celestial  writing tends to be direct in its language. Spoken, it has a gentle,  flowing tone. Draconic: A florid, powerful alphabet, Draconic is often used  for magical messages and inscriptions. It is said to descend from the  dragons themselves and is often referred to as the Original Language and  the Words of Power. Dwarven: Using an alphabet similar to the Norse runes, the  dwarven alphabet was made to be carved in stone, and its letters look as  if they were chiseled in place. Languages in this family are generally  rough and heavily accented. Elven: The elven alphabet is a thin, flowing freehand script  with letters overlapping and curling in on themselves, suitable for  inscription on metal, ivory, or very hard woods. It is used by elves  (including drow) and has a melodic tone when spoken. Fiendish: The Fiendish alphabet is a jagged, powerful script.  The two languages that form this group—Abyssal and Infernal—are  dominated by harsh gutturals and accents. Favored by evil outsiders, its  presence usually indicates something malefic. Halfling: The halfling alphabet makes heavy use of pictograms  and lettering passingly similar in appearance to musical notes. The  spoken language is a patois incorporating elements of Elven combined  with distinctive halfling idioms. Undertongue: Represented by harsh lines and stark hieroglyphs,  this debased version of Elven is spoken by countless subterranean  species, usually for the purpose of doing business with one another.[bar]TABLE: LANGUAGES OF SHADOW BY FAMILY[/bar][TABLE="class: outer_border, width: 60%"] [TR] [TD="width: 17%"]Language[/TD] [TD="width: 43%"]Typical Speakers[/TD] [TD="width: 20%"]Alphabet/Family[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Abyssal[/TD] [TD]Outsiders with allegiances to chaos, evil[/TD] [TD]Fiendish[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Aquan[/TD] [TD]Water-based creatures[/TD] [TD]Elven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Auran[/TD] [TD]Air-based creatures[/TD] [TD]Draconic[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Celestial[/TD] [TD]Creatures with good allegiance[/TD] [TD]Celestial[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Common[/TD] [TD]Various Shadowkind species[/TD] [TD]Common[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Draconic[/TD] [TD]Dragons and other reptilian creatures[/TD] [TD]Draconic[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Drow Sign Language[/TD] [TD]Drow[/TD] [TD]None*[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [TD]Dwarves[/TD] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Elven[/TD] [TD]Elves, drow, and half-elves[/TD] [TD]Elven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Giant[/TD] [TD]Giants, trolls, ogres[/TD] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Gnoll[/TD] [TD]Gnolls[/TD] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Gnome[/TD] [TD]Gnomes[/TD] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Goblin[/TD] [TD]Goblins, bugbears, and other goblinoids[/TD] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Halfling[/TD] [TD]Halflings[/TD] [TD]Elven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Ignan[/TD] [TD]Fire-based or fire-worshiping creatures[/TD] [TD]Draconic[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Infernal[/TD] [TD]Outsiders with evil, law allegiances[/TD] [TD]Fiendish[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Orc[/TD] [TD]Orcs and half-orcs[/TD] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sylvan[/TD] [TD]Forest-dwelling creatures and fey[/TD] [TD]Elven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Terran[/TD] [TD]Earth-based creatures[/TD] [TD]Dwarven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Undertongue[/TD] [TD]Subterranean creatures[/TD] [TD]Elven[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="colspan: 3"]*See the Footnote on Sign Languages.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Footnote on Sign Languages Knowing one type of sign language does not grant knowledge of other  sign languages. In the mundane world, ASL (American Sign Language) is a  dominant form of nonverbal communication in the United States and may be  used and understood by any character who takes the Speak American Sign  Language skill. However, the communication is in the native language of  the speaker. Two characters using ASL to communicate with each other  must share another common language.</blockquote>

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